Bending Reality
by AngelPines
Summary: Just another normal, average, bland day in the life of Kate Bowens... okay, that's a lie if she ever heard one. Her dad's crazy ex boss, ink blot monsters, and a cartoon demon who just won't leave her be. It all sounds like a bad game, huh? Oh, if only everyone wasn't after her head.
1. The Things I do for Family

****Disclaimer: Hello everyone, I'm AngelPines! So, I already have these two stories in the work right now, but I somehow got pulled into this interesting fandom. Which is odd, since it's still fairly new and the game is pretty small at the moment with only two chapters.****

 ** **I'm rambling, aren't I. Anyways, since these ideas won't leave me alone, I had to write them out. And… here we are!****

 ** **UPDATED: Hey! So, like I said in my author's note, I have redid all of the chapters. Well… the chapters regarding 1 and 2 especially. Chapter 3 of the game remained pretty much the same, but I wanted to expand on some things a little more there too. Anyways, feel free to enjoy this as chapter 4 of Bendy is worked on.****

 ** **Kate is my property, everything else isn't.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Apr. 30/18**

* * *

Life was complicated. It didn't matter where you're from, how you've been brought up; everyone has had a complicated upbringing at one point or another. For me though, my story would likely top most. But I should probably start at the beginning.

My dad used to work at an animation studio ten years before I was born, Joey Drew Studios, which was a story I had always loved to listen to. He was employed right out of high school, due to his impressive skills in sketching. He always did have an eye for details, and a talent with a pen. Anyways, he worked there for a few months alongside the other animators and workers like Mr. Lawrence in the music department. Then, there was his boss.

Joey Drew. It would make sense the man named his workshop after himself. Dad always spoke of him with a certain… distaste in his voice. I would keep pressuring him as to why he had hated his old boss, the man who was once like a brother to him. Heck, Joey even showed up to my parents wedding as their best man all those years ago.

But then, everything changed. Joey started… rambling, and talking about 'appeasing the gods' and other weird stuff like that. He had his staff loan him random items from their offices, and had built something called an 'ink machine'. Dad never saw it in person, but he did remember these large pipes being fitted into the walls in every part of the studio. Things had… changed, and for some reason, I always imagined the tales as either a magnificent childhood fantasy… or a terrible nightmare brought upon by a madman.

Anyway, back onto the subject at hand. Life was weird, and if the stories my father, Henry Bowens, had told me, was that something was not right where he once worked. Oh! I should introduce myself while I'm at it, huh.

I'm Kate. Kate Bowens. I'm twenty years old, and an amateur artist. I sketch for a living, doing requests for people. It's pretty nice, I guess. What can you expect when you're the daughter of a retired cartoon artist. Mom was never as understanding in the job choice, as she thought it wouldn't make enough money to help sustain myself. Dad though, supported me all the way, and would give me pointers whenever I ran into a block in one of my commissions.

Long story short; my dad had a possibly psycho boss, my mom didn't support my dreams, and my dad was my best friend and unofficial life coach.

Yeah… I told you I had a weird upbringing. But just because my relationship with both parents was slightly off-putting, that doesn't mean I didn't love them both. I would do anything for them, especially my dad. That promise, my invisible audience, was what had led me to an abandoned building in the middle of freakin' nowhere.

My car screeched to a halt along the side of the roughly paved road, and I leaned out my open window to get a good look. The two story building, Joey Drew Studios itself, somehow still stood after 30 years. A miracle, when you consider the dozens of overgrown plants on the once perfect lawn, and the vines that started climbing the cracked walls.

There were no windows visible on the front of the condemned business, which was a little strange. My dark brown eyes trailed down to the front door, a cobblestone walkway leading up to it. Grass sprouted up from within the cracks, and I raised an eyebrow. "So, ****this**** is Joey Drew Studios. Yeesh, dad. I can understand why you left."

I fished into the pocket of my black and white checkered vest, and pulled out a worn piece of parchment stained in ink. Oddly enough, the liquid was still damp, and cool to the touch. Even after being left outside on the doorstep for who knows how long, and after sitting in my pocket all crumbled up. I had no business going to his old workplace, I really didn't. But… I felt like I had to for him. For my dad.

I lived at home, which my mom was strictly against from the beginning. The only reason why I wasn't booted out yet was because I kept paying this 'rent' she made up. It was cheap, thank goodness, but I hated it with my entire being. What kind of parent charged their own child? I wasn't able to afford a place of my own just yet, and it annoyed me to no end that she only focused on that fact, instead of how much I was trying to pull my own weight around the house and keep things going too.

I had just come home from another successful selling. The commissioner gave me 100 bucks for it, which had me skipping up my driveway with a stupid goofy smile on my face, and a wad of cash in my pocket. That is, until I saw a letter stuck under the mat in front of the door.

"What the…" I knelt down, and picked it up. Immediately, I felt a cold stickiness on the palms of my fingers, and peeled one hand away from the ragged paper. "Ink?" I stared blankly at the black liquid on my hand, and wiped it off on my black jeans. Hey, I'm an artist. Black clothing helps hide any spills. Ironic though, since I wear a white t-shirt under my black and white vest. I tend to lean towards the monochrome style, which probably had to do with my dad as well. Drawing 1930's character's in a later time period tends to do stuff.

Once my hands were relatively clean, I sat down on the front step and opened it. There was no return address on the front, which raised a few warnings. How could one send a letter without addressing it first? _Is that even possible?_ Sighing, I dug my nails under the envelope flap. "Let's just see who the heck is writing to us?" I grumbled. Once the paper was open, I read through it. And boy, did I not like what it read.

" ** **Dear Henry.****

 ** **It seems like a lifetime since we worked on cartoons together. 30 years really slips away, doesn't it?****

 ** **If you're back in town, come visit the old workshop. There's something I need to show you.****

 ** **Your best pal,****

 ** **Joey Drew.**** "

 _ _Joey Drew,__ my mind repeated in confusion. My dad's messed up old boss? What could he want? And who the heck just randomly decides to write to someone after **30** ** **years****? "There's… something really off about this." I glanced up at the door behind me, hearing my parents in the living room argue about how I should be 'acting my age' and 'getting a life'. Frowning, I looked at the paper. I should really give this to dad. After all, it is his letter. But, then again…

I ran a hand over the messy braid I had done with my long waist length black hair in order to keep it out of my view when I draw. There was obviously something wrong with this. I could feel deep down that whatever Mr. Drew wanted to show him, it was not something my dad would enjoy.

The stories he told me about his job, and the few mentions of Joey descending into madness confirmed to me enough that I could not let my dad go there again. He wasn't in his prime, and while he could hold his own, I… I was worried. But I couldn't just leave this be, and forget I had ever received the letter. No, no. If Joey never heard from Henry, he might try to contact him again. And he… might not use such a simple method to convince my dad to come.

And that, was what led me on an hour long drive into the country towards the studios.

Closing the silver car's door behind me and locking it, I walked up the uneven path, feeling the cracked stone walkway shift under my feet. My gaze never once strayed from the abandoned animation studio, and I could feel a chill run down my spine. "I swear, this Drew guy better have a good reason for that letter." __Because if he__ _ _wasn't my dad's old friend, I wouldn't be doing this. Remember Kate; you're doing this for him.__

I halted in front of the door, and looked down at the door knob. The once shiny silver texture was worn, and starting to rust from age. The simple object seemed to taunt me, silently begging for someone to finally enter this building of who knows how many secrets. My breathe hitched, and I was half-tempted to turn around and walk the other way. But I couldn't. No matter how much I wanted to split, I had to do this.

Sighing, I gripped the knob, and let it turn in my palm. "Honestly, the things I do for family," I muttered. The door creaked open on rusty hinges, and the darkness from inside leaked out into the cloudy fall outside. __No going back.__ With one last look out at the real world, I slipped inside, the door closing loudly behind me.

"Here we go."

* * *

 ** **And that's the prologue! So, while I really wanna write this, any updates will be far and few in between. I have two stories that always get updated on the weekends, so be patient.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	2. Where Cartoons Come to Die

****Disclaimer: Welcome one and all, to chapter 2! Break out the popcorn, 'cause we've got a show for you!****

 ** **TravisUmbra: It'll be slow at the beginning, but I have BIG plans for this. I hope you won't get bonely reading this! Heheheh. Puns…****

 ** **Mr. R3M: I am, thank you. Hope you enjoy this chapter!****

 ** **Guest: I am glad I have your interest.****

 ** **JustBeStill: Well, it's a prologue after all. But thanks for favoriting and following!****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: Oh, Bendy came true all right. Just wait a few more chapters.****

 ** **DarkRose66: Thanks! I liked yours too.****

 ** **I own Kate, everything else is TheMeatly's.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: May 8/18**

* * *

"Alright, Joey. I'm here. Let's have a look at whatever you wanted my dad to see," I said quietly, before letting out a ragged cough. A cloud of dust from closing the door floated up around me, filling my lungs. "When was the last time this place had been cleaned?" The entrance hall was lit by a few candles from farther down the corridor and several randomly placed lights, allowing me to clearly see through the thick cloud of dust particles drifting through the air. The familiar smell of an artist's ink swept over me once I got used to the mustiness, and I eased up slightly. It was just an animation studio, Kate. An abandoned animation studio, but an animation studio none the less.

Glancing at the walls, I slowly made my way towards the open space at the end of the corridor. " ** **The Dancing Demon.**** " I raised an eyebrow at the old promotional poster beside me. Actually, there were posters all over the place. " ** **Bendy in Sheep Songs, with Boris the Wolf.**** " Bendy and Boris… Bendy and Boris-aha!

Now I remembered! Dad's stories of his old job revolved around some cheeky little demon named Bendy, and his friend Boris, a wolf who played the clarinet. Joey Drew Studios had built a small empire around their star, the Little Devil Darlin', but then Joey happened and… y'know the rest. I had loved watching the tapes as a kid, but as I got older, those memories were... just that. Memories. Stuff I hadn't thought about in years. I loved those old videos to death that I somehow busted one up in the player from overuse. _Never could recall how that cartoon ended anyway._

"Now, what am I supposed to be seeing in this horrifying place of creepiness?" I joked, wandering down the hall until I finally entered the main room, passing under the " **WELCOME** " sign. Other hallways branched off from there, and drawing tables and chairs littered the area. " **Joey Drew Studios** " was written on a casing over three massive wheels mounted on the left side of the wall, to the right of a hallway on the right. What first caught my attention was the running projector in the corner, and a single Bendy cutout propped up in the corner with its face lit up in the yellow light. Randomly placed blanks were scattered about, patching under holes in the walls or just laying discarded from not being put to use.

"Hmmm… well, this isn't strange at all!" Fear the sarcasm! Fear it! As well of the quiet crackling of the empty film cycling through the film wheels, and distorted music flowing from the machine, I could feel the hairs on the neck stand on end from how creepy it was. Why would that even be running? It's not like anyone but Joey and me were here… right?

"I swear, Kate, you're getting more paranoid by the minute just standing here." I spun around in my black dress shoes, and headed down the wing on the right. "Just find out what he wanted from dad, and you'll never have to be here again." Continuing my path under the old yellow light bulbs on the ceiling, I chose to take the path by the wheels. Passing a lopsided dresser, and a sign indicating where certain directions led such as the art department, I turned a corner again only to pause as my eye caught sight of something. A Bendy plush sat on the seat beside the dresser, leaning against the backrest. It looked so out of place, but right at home at the same time. "Now what are you doin' here?" I picked up the harmless object, and ran a hand over its soft velvet head. "It's pretty off-putting walking around by my lonesome, you know. I don't suppose a strong demon like you would protect me?"

The doll remained silent, and I stifled a laugh. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Let's go then, my brave knight. Onward!" I held Bendy up to my chest with one arm, and marched down the hallway into the next room after making a left turn. Whatever brave feelings I had right then, had upright disappeared very, ****very**** quickly. Like a slap to the face.

" ** **Dreams come true?**** " Okay, that wasn't normal. Tightening my grip on Bendy, I placed a hand below the sentence, and felt the dried ink that had dripped down the old plaster. Looking up at the small light above me, I noticed a large ink stain on the ceiling, dripping down onto the creaking floorboards and oozing outwards. __Okay! Time to get moving! Right now, here we go!__

"Man, what a waste of ink." Backing up, I threw a nervous look down the hall. __And there's a dark ominous hallway.__ No huge light source that I could make out, only a smaller light on the side of the wall, but there was something… something off about that. As I glanced wearily at the gated door on the left, I turned to the right and carefully stepped over one of the ink pipes my dad had talked about, stretching across the floor between the walls. A chart displaying the amount of gallons needed, and a keep out sign didn't ease my growing nerves.

I was normally an easy going person. I could handle mostly anything, and not much scared me. However… seeing a giant black pit far, far below you from a balcony with massive chains threaded into the abyss can make you act… different.

Dozens of cracks in the ceiling let the afternoon sunlight stream in, but doing no help in me seeing what was below me. "Now what do you suppose is down there?" I asked Bendy. Spotting the power switch to my right, and the battery cartridge beside it, I only could assume I needed a power source. "Hmm..."

To the left of the room was a shelf and a foot locker. "Oh. Guess that's it." I moved over, tucking Bendy under my arm for a moment and picked a heavy battery off of a shelf. Reason lead me to believe the next one was in the box. "And what do you, I was right!" Juggling the two, I moved back over and stuck them into the machine. Standing upright, I turned around and with a sharp tug, brought the handle down. "Alright, Joey. Let's see what you're hiding."

The chains began to move upwards, making the entire room creak with the sound of old metal being strained. Put to its test. _From… what though-oh, sweet potato pie._

It was… big. Big, and metal. Clearly well constructed, with gears and a giant vat of ink mounted on the side. A huge nozzle was on the front, with looked like it would move when it was activated. A built-in tray was directly under the hose, ready to catch whatever leaked… out of… ink. It was… ink.

Ah, yes. The infamous ink machine. So this was what dad had meant before. All the pipes in the whole building led to that… monstrosity. It was huge! It easily towered over me, but if it wasn't hanging over a hole that led to who knows where, and I could get closer to it, I'd be able to see for myself how big it really was. "Wonder how you turn it on?" I mumbled to myself as a gust of wind flew from vents built into the bottom. A quick scan revealed a faint dripping from the back where the vat was, disappearing underneath it. __Must be leaking.__ Shrugging, I went back out of the room, and found the gated door was open. "Maybe had to do with the new power input. Oh, and would you look at that. Even more hallways! What a surprise!" I threw my arms up in the air, and checked out the split pathways. "Yeesh! Can't you animators make things any more complicated?" Eenie, meenie miney… that one.

The right path led past an artist's table and a Bendy cutout. I stopped for a moment, and grinned at the cartoon standee. "Hope you're having fun here, Bendy." I patted the demon on the head, smiling. "Bet it gets pretty lonely around by yourself." Nodding in agreement as if it answered back, I stepped backwards and went past him to the next crossroads.

The studio was like a maze, honestly. But seeing how large it was on the outside, made me wonder about the floors that I haven't stumbled across yet. So far, I haven't seen any stairs. Unless they were all boarded up due to safety hazards. _Then again, this whole place seems to be close to falling down on the outside._ "I guess this isn't so ba-" I found myself getting silenced from a board that freakin' fell from the ceiling! "Holy!" I stumbled backwards, and stared angrily up at the gap in the roof. "Not funny!"

Okay, if this Drew guy didn't show up soon, I was out!

Grumbling angrily under my breathe, I stormed into the intersection and turned to the left. Head still down, I didn't look where I was headed, until an extremely powerful aroma of ink and… metal hit me?

Pupils raising in concern, I lifted my head enough to look at where I walked. I really wish I didn't. I really, **really** wished I hadn't.

"Oh my god," I softly gasped. "Joey, what were you doin'?" A large black… thing, was cuffed to an upright surgical table, with three thick leather straps holding it in place. The creature was soaked in layers upon layers of sickly smelling ink. A pair of shiny black boots were still on its feet, and it wore a pair of white working overalls that were also stained with the indisposed ink that dripped off its fur. But its chest…

It was ****cut open****. Large jagged bones that were clearly ribs poked out from in between the top and middle strap where its torso was, showing an empty inky cavity. Plants had started to spring up from the floor, breaking in from the outside, and ink dripped down from somewhere in the ceiling above its head, landing in the slight hole the creature was mounted in. A chipped tiled wall ran around the room for the lower half of it, feeding back up into peeling tan paint. I set the doll on the chair in the corner by the door, not letting my eyes stray from the gruesome dissected form of… of…

 _ _It- it can't be…__ "B-Boris?" I said, my voice not more than a whisper. A heartbroken, and stunned whisper. It couldn't have been anyone else. The upright floppy ears, the canine-like face… but- but it couldn't be him! Boris was a cartoon! Cartoons weren't supposed to be real! You're supposed to draw them and laugh with them! Not mount them on a surgical table, cut them open, and remove their insides!

But… no matter how much I hated this, I could not deny what I was seeing. Boris the Wolf, murdered in front of me, surrounded by two lit candles that had long since melted onto their respective pedestals and lit up for the world to see by an orange light on the floor, directed to highlight his r… rib cage. "Who.. who could've done this to you, Boris?" I reached forward, and let my small hand slip into his larger gloved one. I squeezed Boris' hand, and felt my eyes start to sting with unshed tears. Letting the limp appendage fall from my grasp, I stood back, and looked away. Through the wind drifting through the room from the holes in the walls, which… which I hoped wasn't the reason why I thought I was hearing whispering, I saw another message. Another messy, scrawled message on the wall to my right, having dripped onto the table underneath. " ** **Who's laughing now?**** " My already pale face went paper white, and I stepped back to where the Bendy plush was. __I'm not. I'm really,__ ** _ ** _really_**_** _ _not.__

Before I knew it, I found myself sprinting out of the room, and down the other direction where the hall branched off with my Bendy toy in tow. I couldn't stay in there any longer. Boris… he shouldn't be real, but… he did not deserve that treatment. Whatever, or… whoever, did that to him… they would pay for that. "I swear, to the almighty art spirits, I will ****not**** let Joey get away with this." _If that's what you wanted my dad to see, pal, then you're one sick_ _t_ _icket._

* * *

 ** **Done!****

 ** **Just thought I'd mention, but since Bendy and the Ink Machine is such a small and really new game, chapters will be fairly small too. If I made them as big as my normal chapters, 4000 words, then this would be a very small story.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	3. Build Our Machine

****Disclaimer: And yes, I was thinking of the song when I made that title.****

 ** **TravisUmbra: Yay! Sarcasm! And don't worry, I'll have you brought over to the Bendy side eventually. Join the dark side, Travis. We have cupcakes.****

 ** **Mr. R3M: We don't want any dreams coming true here, do we?****

 ** **Harmony Avery: Uh… so… does this mean you liked the story so far?****

 ** **I don't own BatIM, only Kate!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: May 8/18**

* * *

"So this is where the main power is." I slowed down my hurried sprint, still having my heart beat rapidly in my own chest, and walked into the new room. A large black pipe, most likely filled with more ink, was mounted on either side of a huge flip switch. Unlike the lower ceilings of the other rooms, and the huge space that the ink machine was stored in, having a raised ceiling and a balcony where you brought it up from a hole, all this room had was a high ceiling that came to a point at the top. The triangle made at the opposite end of where I came in had several more ink pipes built in, two on each side, feeding into the walls. A glowing " ** **low pressure**** " sign was beside the switch, indicating how long it had been since anyone had turned it on. Above the switch was " **ink machine** ", indicating to what this switch was obviously connected to. "Alright, how do I get this to work?"

So we had these random six pedestals in here, three on either side with pipes feeding into them. Unlike all the ink ones, I figured that those held wiring to them, acting as their power source. There's three pictures on each side behind the stands, ranging from a gear to the plush doll I was currently carrying. "Are these the offerings dad talked about?" When he said that the workers had to give supplies from their work space, that wasn't exactly what I imagined. Maybe some sketch or something was what I was expecting. A wrench didn't make a lick of sense.

"Well I already have you," I grinned nervously at the Bendy toy, nuzzling its face with my nose. "But I'll bring you back once I find everything else." I walked out of the room with my heart set on finding the items. But, deep down, I knew it would take a while for me to fully relax. Boris… how could I just shake off the image of his mutilated corpse strapped to that table? "It's okay, Kate," I reminded myself, taking a deep breathe to calm down. "The longer you're in here, the more answers you're sure to-ahh!"

Right at the corner where I had come in, stood a Bendy standee. The cutout's large pie cut eyes stared emptily back at me, with its large toothy grin. "Who the heck put you here?" Cautiously, I inched towards Bendy, and placed a hand on its cheek. "Hehe… you, uh, aren't following me around, are you, Bendy?"

All I got was silence. Oddly, I hoped I would've heard something. I could only talk so much to myself before I started to lose it. I mean, right now I was narrating everything out in my head to some invisible audience. How crazy was that!?

I smiled at the cutout, and patted its head like I did to the one earlier. "Oh well. I'm sure you have your reasons. See ya around, Bendy." Stepping around the cutout, I headed back the way I came, and found the second item on my mental list.

" ** **The Illusion of Living by Joey Drew****." I raised an eyebrow, and picked up the black covered book on the artist's table I passed earlier. The papers smelled of dust, reminding me of an old library. Any hope to read the contents was banished though as the book had a small lock attached to it, keeping the contents hidden from prying eyes. __Really thought of everything, didn't you Joey?__

I continued down the path, and stopped at the two doors off to the side that I had ignored on my way past earlier. "A cassette tape?" I wondered. On a small table in between two doors with a wooden chair beside it, sat a recording. It was… odd to see that there. A little out of place, really. But… there might be something worthwhile on there listening to. My mind made up, I pressed the triangle button. To my delight, the antique worked, and the small area was soon filled with a recording from one of the old workers, mixed in with static from such an outmoded device would make.

" ** **At this point, I don't get what Joey's plan is for this company. The animations sure aren't being finished on time anymore. And I certainly don't see why we need this… machine. It's noisy, it's messy. And who needs THAT**** ** **much ink anyway?**** ** **Also, get this. Joey had each one of us donate something from our work station. We pit them on these little pedestals in the break room. To help appease the gods, Joey says. Keep things going.**** ** **I think he's lost his mind, but, hey, he writes the checks.**** ** **But I tell you what, if one more of these pipes burst, I'm OUTTA HERE."****

 _ _Wally Franks,__ I concluded. Dad had told me about each of the workers at Joey's workshop He was a pretty nice guy, but it was like he had said; the pipes all around the studio did freak out a fair share of the employees. You know, if my boss-if I ever had one-had told me to sacrifice miscellaneous desk objects to appease higher powers, I might have had a few more questions then 'if another pipe bursts'.

"Walking through an abandoned studio," I sang as I waltzed back towards the beginning of the building. "Doo doo doo, we're all gonna die." I froze in the middle of my little twisted song, and saw a small light shine out from underneath a door on the right. "What the..." I crept closer, and as soon as it appeared, the light vanished. "Okay then. That's… a little creepy." Twisting the knob in my hand, I opened the door. "This is it?"

It wasn't much. A few cans of bacon soup that I remembered dad had mentioned briefly. It was some sort of promotional thing they had tried out in the past… it didn't work out. Bacon soup. Not as tasty as one might think. "An old timey radio," I smiled. The small machine was set up on a drawing desk, and I could see it was still plugged into the wall. Odd that an abandoned building still had power, but I wasn't questioning it. They probably had a generator somewhere inside running the joint. "I wonder if it still works." I turned the knob on the left, and suddenly, the room was filled with a jaunty little tune. The sound of a ragtime piano had me grinning ear to ear. "Not a bad song," I noted. Swing always gave me a pep to my step, and suited the 1930's feel of the studio. Joey Drew Studios, despite being in the later part of the last century, loved the olden cartoons. That was what made them different. Instead of sticking to color and cartoons with pupils, they settled for rubber hose style and black and white. It was a decision that stuck out to me, and was why I used black ink in all of my commissions and requests. Never color.

If that door's been opened though, then maybe there's others that were opened now too. Trying my hand at the line of doors along the wall, it took four attempts to finally find one that opened, right beside the ink machine's hallway. "What's this?" A staircase led into a large room decorated in posters and tables, making me conclude it was a break area. A clock-in machine sat on the side, and I humorously punched in the card at the top. "Guess that's all in here," I looked around, frowning. "Time to press on." I turned around to head back up, only for my eye to catch sight of a dart board on the wall, with three darts still stuck into it. "Hmm… well, there's no harm." I didn't have that bad of an aim.

Several terrible throws and an annoyed sigh later, I headed back up the stairs. _Oh, yes. Yes, my aim really was bad._ I passed back through the " ** **dreams come true**** " room, and picked up a record disk behind a fallen board. "Three down, three to go." Now where could the rest be? I didn't check out all the smaller hallways in the large room, so maybe there's something still hidden there.

I exited the corridor, and walked around until stumbling on a small wing that led to another artist's table, and a larger room off to the right of it. A wrench laid down among the mess of papers on the floor, and at the feet of another Bendy. I picked it up, and slid it into the pocket of my vest, and gave a grin at the demon. "Why thank you, kind sir!"

Laughing to myself, I decided to check in the new area. A slightly lowered floor with a guardrail leading to the three steps, a coat rack, and five artist tables. True, there were more ink pipes, Bendy posters, and random pieces of paper on the walls and floor, but this was definitely worth looking at. "Doesn't seem to be anything in here though-oh." I was only missing two other items, so finding the cog wheel under a stool was a blessing. Albeit a really weird one. _Why was this even in here?_

While one of the tables had nothing on it, the others were displaying well drawn out images of Bendy in different poses. Sitting with a chipper smile, running, and some displayed different emotions. How a being with a permanent smile could do that astounded me. "Now let's see. I've got the doll, the book, the record, the wrench, and the cog. What else is there…?" _Meh, I'll figure it out when I see it._ The images were still stuck in my head. Spotting the item itself would jog the memory. _Though… I could've sworn-eh, it might just be my imagination._ There was no way that sketch of Bendy in the far corner under that ceiling light changed position. _Y-yeah… just imagining things._

But… I've checked every room. Seen almost everything, except for… Boris' room. I did not want to return there. The idea that Drew might've done that; to bring a cartoon wolf to life, only to dissect him apart for his own disgusting needs, made me want to hurl. Good thing I had a fairly strong stomach, or I would've lost my lunch I ate from before I came here. To the building, I mean. "You… you can do this, Kate," I encouraged my shaking self. "It's-it's not like anyone can hurt you here. You're okay. You're-you're okay."

Small clouds of dust drifted up around my shoes as I made my way back to the room, holding the Bendy plush tightly to my chest. __Please, don't let it be any worse than before-and the cutout is gone.__

I didn't get it. I was absolutely certain there was no one else in here with me. So… who moved Bendy? And… how did it get there in the first place? __Oh well. Let's just see if he didn't make an appearance Boris' room.__ It __didn't, thankfully. The cartoon wolf was still bound to the board, head slumped over the strap by his neck, with no Bendy in sight except for the standee already against the wall from before. "I really am sorry, Boris," I whispered. Bowing my head, I went around the table to peek in the corners, not finding the item I needed. _There must be something here I'm missing._

Pausing at the exit of the room, I noticed a door in the corner beside a dresser. "Hmmm?" Opening it, I poked my head in. The motion let my braid fall over my shoulder, dangling back and forth. "So that's where the rest of the artists were!" Two tables were set up around the walls, with barren shelves and random stools. I knew there must have been at least a few more, besides the artists' room and the random work areas scattered about. "Not bad." A bottle of black ink, just like the kind I used in my sketchbook, with an ink pen still in the jar was sitting on one of the desks. A logical place to find it. __Is the skull and crossbones on the side really necessary?__ "Welp, that's all of them. I just need to get the ink flowing somehow. Should be a switch around here somewhere." I smiled sadly at Boris, and gave another nod before stepping out of the room. "Then we can start up the main power. Right, Bendy?" I lifted the doll to my face, and using my index finger, pushed its head up and down. "Right. Knew you'd see things my way."

I walked back to the main power room, and sat each item on its respective pedestal. __Cool, they even sank into the ground once the items were added.__ Once everything was put down, I turned to the Bendy doll. "Be good, won't you? I'm on an important mission, and I don't want to let you down."

"..."

"Thanks, Bendy." I chuckled at the silent answer, and headed down a new hallway. I haven't been everywhere yet. If there was some room with a way to get the ink flowing through the pipes, it'd be this way for sure. "Okay, all I'm looking for is a lever or a butto-AHH!"

A freakin' Bendy standee decided it's time to play a round of peek a boo with me! Its head popped out from the other side of the hall on the right, before ducking back in again, just fast enough to stop and restart my heart again to see if I was still living. "NOT FUNNY!" I screamed down the hall, and raced after it. I slid into the wall at the end due to the lack of grip my shoes had on the floor, and glared angrily at the cutout leaning nonchalantly against the wall across from me. "Are you serious, Bendy!? What did I do to deserve that!?"

Huffing, I brushed my vest and entered the room, having it dip down under my feet. Several chairs were set up in front of a projector, with ink puddles all over the floor and notes and sketches attached to the walls. "More posters, huh? Boy, Bendy, you must have been really popular back in the day." _I wish I could've seen it._

*Click* I snapped my head to the screen on the wall, and acknowledged the now running projector. A small animation of Bendy filled the screen on the light brown background. The little demon was doing a small dance, grinning happily. A happy whistle flowed through the machine, going along with the animation. That silly surprise, and the adorableness of it all, soothed me from my jitters from before. Not much, mind you, but it was a help. "Heh… hehe… thanks, Bendy. I... I needed that."

In the small corner beside the machine, I finally found what I was looking for. "Ink pressure! Yes!" I grabbed the valve wheel and cranked it hard to the right... and a pipe burst by my head. "Whoa!" Jumping back, I watched the ink begin to fill the room, covering my feet and filling the floor with a few inches of the dark liquid. "Oh, that's cold!" Running back up the few stairs that led into the theater, I shook off the ink from my soles. "Eugh. Okay, Kate. Ignoring what just happened, now to flip the switch!" I walked back to the large room, hearing loud thumbing from within the pipes. "Yeesh! How long has it been since Joey ran the ink flow? What is going on inside there?" It sounded... big? Like something was stuck inside there moving. _Mice, maybe? If it's abandoned, there's more than likely rodents living in here._

I didn't know if this entire place was powered by ink or what, but it was really putting me on edge right now. Not that I didn't love art and drawing, but, uh… this was a little much. "Alrighty then, here we go." I glanced behind me, looking at the stands around me, and the items I had gathered. __This isn't… something to be afraid of. You're just turning the power on. Nothing is gonna happen if you start up the machine. N-nothing…__

With a heavy sigh and a determined expression set on my face, I grasped the handle firmly. Pulling the lever with a fair amount of effort, it came down with a loud clunk. Immediately, the room plunged into darkness, and the lights above the pedestals turning off. A single light came on overhead, right above the door where I came in, giving me enough illumination to see.

"Well, I can hear power running now. Not sure how that affects the machine since it's hanging over a pit, but okay." If that stupid treasure hunt really worked, then I wanted to see that thing in action. Who knows? Maybe I could ask dad to help drag it home for me. I could always use more supplies.

I turned around the last corner, and cast a look up the hallway where the exit was. I could still leave, you know. I could head home right now and forget what I saw here. Pretending I never saw the letter, and just… burn every letter we receive from a potential psycho from now on. However, there was definitely something… wrong, about all this. Not just with Boris too. Something... evil.

I started walking backwards, deep in thought. Heck, I-I didn't even notice that I was going so far back. I just… kept walking down the other hall towards where the machine was, staring ahead of me and managing not to trip over the ink pipe on the floor. "Something is in here with me, and it's… I don't think it's just Joey. A normal human couldn't just disappear into thin air, and a cardboard image couldn't just walk around on its own. So then… who's in here with me?" My back bumped into something, and I felt my hand reach out behind me. __Wood? But then…?__

A heavy breath seemed to run down my collar, and I paled; beads of sweat began to form on my brow. My body went ridged as I felt something cold and sticky wrap around my waist, holding me against the boards behind my back. Another slimy hand shot out from behind the boarded up entrance, and flung around my mouth to smother any screams I was about to unleash. The bitter taste of ink filled my mouth, and my eyes widened in horror.

The breathing behind me got closer to my ear, sending terrified shivers through my body, and then… " ** **I aM****."

 _ _NOPE!__ I bit down on the inky hand covering my mouth, startling the monster into releasing me with a gargled shout. Stumbling onto my hands and knees, I looked ahead in fright as the entire studio began filling with ink that leaked from the ceiling and the walls, covering the ground. Whipping my head around, I saw that the… thing, had vanished back into the room. "Time to go!" I slipped as I pushed myself into a standing position, and took off down the hall, sliding through the ink as the other hallway was locked off to me. The gated door slammed shut in emergency, narrowing my route to where I had to go. Where I **needed** to go. I all but threw myself forwards, as pipes burst around me unleashing jets of hot steam and parts of the ceiling collapsing from the weight of the ink in the pipes. The black liquid sloshed at my jeans as I sprinted, not daring to look back.

 _ _Nope, nope, nope, nope, NOPE!__ Slipping around a sharp corner as the ink began climbing to my waist, I threw myself towards the exit. The door was open still, just a crack. The setting sun crept through it, lighting up the wall it hit against and filling me with hope. That things would be fine, and that I would get past this.

Of course, life chose that time to screw things up for me.

A loud crack filled the air with the continuing sound of pouring ink, and I gasped as the floorboards broke underneath me. __Aw, heck no!__ I lunged towards the door, only for my body to fall through the large hole, missing the stable ground with my fingertips by mere inches. My hands scraped against the rough edges, nipping at my stained skin, and I fell.

I. Fell.

"AAHHHH! WHY DOES LIFE HATE MEEEEE!?"

* * *

 ** **So then, is that e**** ** **nough craziness and sarcasm for one chapter?****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	4. You Called for Help

****Disclaimer: … but no one came. Gee, what a shame!****

 ** **I referenced Undertale now. Ooh boy. I think referencing stuff is gonna happen a lot in this story.****

 ** **Mr. R3M: Thank you! I want to keep this as dark as possible, but it's hard not to feel a little pity towards Bendy.****

 ** **TravisUmbra: Dark side has cupcakes, light side has cookies… neutral side has BACON!****

 ** **Bendy: Here you go!****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: Our venom stains, the night remains. But the ending is always the just the same, no gain.****

 ** **I own Kate. TheMeatly owns Bendy and the Ink Machine.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: May 8/18**

* * *

"EEEeeee-oof!" The floor I fell through was high above me, but it was hard to tell that since rivers of ink clouded most of my vision as I plummeted to the bottom of wherever it was I was going. Boards fell past me and smashed into the floor far below, and before I knew it, I felt my back smack roughly against a tilted over dresser and face planted into the black lake. "Merrr…" I painfully pushed up myself off the ground, spitting out the liquid and sat back on my legs. The ink sank through my pants and shoes, chilling me to my still shaking bones. With my feet drawn underneath me, I rubbed my lower back, groaning and trying my best to ignore the two feet of black sludge I was sitting in. "Err… th-that was a long fall." At least that furniture was there to break my fall. Who knows what would've happened if I had missed it. _Possibly… a very quick and gruesome end. Either death by broken back, or drowning in ink._ Looking up above me, I could make out the flickering lights from the main floor above me, and ink dripping down along the sides and smacking me on the head. It was dark though, at the far top. No sign of light, or whatever that-that thing was that was in there with the machine.

"That… what ****was**** that?" I gripped the dresser and hoisted myself up, the ink coming up to just below my waist. Shivering, I stood directly under the hole, peering up in confused horror. Whatever that… inky beast was, it was definitely not human. Nothing about it was human. Did… did it come from the ink machine? Or was it locked inside the building all this time… with me? __Oh, sweet molasses.__ _ _Was__ ** _ ** _that_**_** _ _what Joey wanted to show my dad!?__ I swallowed the lump growing in my throat, and backed up against the wall, far away from the hole. My breathing came out in short gasps, and I clutched the part of my vest over my heart. __What… what is this place!?__

"C-calm down, Kate," I stuttered, before gulping anxiously. "C-calm down. It's o-okay. You're okay! That… thing, isn't gonna follow you. You're safe." Once my heartbeat semi returned to normal, I looked around the room, only seeing cobwebs, a valve on a pipe, a stool... and another tape on a bookshelf in the corner. "Oh no." Making my way over to it, and glancing around at the old walls and more chipped tiles running around the edges, I pressed play on the machine.

" ** **It's dark, and it's cold, and it's stuck in behind every single wall now. In some places, I swear this godforsaken ink is clear up to my knees!**** " Buddy, I could feel your pain. _Literally._ " ** **Who ever thought that these crummy pipes could hold up under this kind of strain either knows something about pressure I don't, or he's some kind of idiot. But the real worst part about all this... are them noises the system makes. Like a dying dog on its last legs. Make no mistake, this place... this... machine... heck, this whole darn thing... it just isn't natural. You can bet, I won't be doing any more repairs for Mr. Joey Drew.**** "

Well... that's not exactly great to hear. "I-I better see what else is down here. Maybe there's an exit." Spotting the door off to the side, I made my way towards it, and peeked around the corner. "Really?"

A small hallway, with a staircase leading down to another floor... swamped in ink. __How huge is this building?__ Sliding back to turn the valve, which lowered the ink level so I could walk properly, I headed to whatever area the stairs led. Creeping around the bend, I made my way carefully down the steps. The wood letting out a small creak with each nervous step, and I kept a hand on the wall to keep myself from slipping. The light above me continuously flickered, adding to the psycho ambiance. I rubbed my fingers against my palm, and frowned. My skin, along with my entire wardrobe, was now stained in the metallic inky liquid. Any white part of my outfit was now a dyed gray with white streaks. __At least my pants and shoes are still normal, a__ _ _lbeit soaking in ink.__ I squeezed some ink from my braid, letting my hair fall stiffly back into place and continued down the long stairway, stopping once to lower the ink level on another pipe. "Man, how deep is this? Did Joey build this much into the ground?"

Turning another valve at the very bottom where the stairs ended in the back, I stopped to raise a brow at the boarded up holes in the walls before moving to the front of a door. There was nowhere else to go, so it was my only choice. "What's behind door number one?" I asked smartly, and twisted the knob. It gave way without a fight, leading to a small room filled with storage crates and a boarded up door. "Why's this covered?" Settling my hand on the wood, I looked around to see if I could use something to break it down. I was not in the mood for what I came across instead.

" ** **The creator lied to us.**** " Nope. Nope, nope, nope. This had gone from a simple visit to an Indie horror game in five minutes flat. First a decomposing Boris, then a creepy ink monster who liked to breath down girl's backs, and then a threatening message. Oh, and did I forget to mention NOPE? Because, hehe, I was pretty certain I did!

I bumped against the wall to the left as my legs buckled from surprise, and felt a sharp sting in my arm as it hit something. Spinning around, I came face to face with an ax laying on top of a large table, clearly a work bench. _Oh, so it wasn't a wall I hit._ It was heavy, the ax, and I could tell it had some weight to it. It would be a little hard to carry, but a weapon was a weapon. If… I didn't want to be defenseless down here. "This will definitely come in handy." Sliding the weapon off the table I weighed it in my hands. Plenty of heft. Sharp enough blade. This would really do some damage. Chuckling, I marched up to the door, and smirked. "Hey, may I ax you a question!?" I swung against the wood, and shattered it into splinters. "Oh man! That, that was clever."

Laughing, I repeatedly brought the ax through the beams, making my way down the hallway and stepping around the dripping ink from the ceiling. Whoever came down here before me had not only blocked the entrance, but put up boards in the middle of the corridor too. "Another door, eh?" I thumped the blade against my palm. "Well, you're no match for the power of Bowens!" Boom! One down! Boom! Another one gone! Boom! Three down!

"And we're in," I grinned. Holding the ax in one hand, I opened the door… and jumped back in horror. Coffins and candles and a… a ****SUMMONING CIRCLE!**** "Aw, come on!" I exclaimed, and held the ax in front of me. _Joey Drew, I swear if you were dealing with some dark mojo jojo, then I am out! Oh wait. I can't leave because your ink beast tried to choke me and I fell several stories!_ I just wanted to go home and eat a bagel and drink an iced capp from Tim's. Was that too much to ask!?

I cautiously stepped forward into the creep show, staring guardedly at the black ink decorating the middle of the floor. The door across from me was boarded up as well, and three chairs sat around the design painted on the floor. Six candles, still lit and casting the only light in the room, cast ominous shadows on the ink, the coffins which I prayed had no bodies inside them, and my ink stained face. However, I wasn't careful enough in watching my own steps, letting my foot cross over the circle. Just a small, simple movement… and I went down.

Hard.

"AH!" I shrieked, falling down on my knees. The ax clattered to the ground beside me, as the entire room shook. Was it really the room-I-I couldn't tell. Everything just started to pound, with violent flashes of orange light dance in my eyes. A blurred image of the ink machine flew past my vision without warning, making me stumble to the left and fall to my knees. __Wh-what-?__ Shuddering, I turned to look up at the two coffins in front of me, only to have the image of a rusted wheelchair appear instead. "Wh-what is this…?" I whispered hoarsely, before a final image filled my head.

The ink monster. The same creature that attacked me upstairs. It was grinning… maliciously at me, and seemed to be approaching me. Dribbles of the slimy substance dripped down its white face, blocking any possible eyes. A faded white tie hung loosely on its chest, soaked in the ink from its unconventional body, where its ribs were quite noticeable through its blackened body. It was up against the same orange light, in a doorway-my doorway? Just… reaching outwards to grab someth… someone. Yet, the curve in its horns on its head, and its face seemed… terrifyingly familiar.

"… B-Bendy…?"

Ya know, sleep seemed like a great idea right now. Arms and legs giving out, my body slumped on top of the circle, and I let the darkness take me away.

* * *

I stood up from the large ink puddle in the corner of the room and crept over to the unconscious form of the human, hands behind my back and examining our newest prisoner. Definitely one of the youngest ones to enter the studio, but old enough to be mistaken for a worker. Then again, time seemed to pass by slowly in the studio, so how was I to know what it was like outside? I've never left! "Idiot, you are," I muttered. "What sort of genius starts up something they don't even know what it does?"

My stubborn facade fell slightly though. She's way too young, almost a kid. Even if my timing was off, she couldn't have been a worker. She wouldn't have been alive back then. Maybe one of the old worker's children? _Not that I've ever seen any of them. No kids have ever been in the studio before. In fact... did any of the old workers even have kids? Meh. Not like I can ask any of them now. Can't really speak much now, can they?_

Whoever she was, she shouldn't have come here. I hated the fact another human had made their way into the studio. Shouldn't they have gotten it through their thick heads that this place was dangerous by now? Yet… while I followed her around upstairs, she seemed to show a sort of respect to… to Boris. Nobody... nobody had done that in ages. Heck, she even spoke to my cutouts as if I was listening! What was she, delusional?

However, I, heh, was, o'course. Listening. I always was. I could meld my form into any image of myself, and use it as a window. A talent I had learned many years ago. Hehehe. I won't lie, her reaction when I poked around the corner in the projector room was hilarious. Odd human, she was. But...? _But now what?_

"Hmmm…" I knelt down, and nudged the human's ink stained cheek with my hand. Her head slumped to the side against it once I moved back, still passed out cold. __Oh well.__ I stood back up, and made my way back towards the wall, but not before sitting her ax against the side. Didn't need her rolling on top of that in her sleep. __She'll wake up eventually. And when she does…__ I gave a dark chuckle, grin widening. "She'll be sure to be greeted with a ****swell**** time. Looks like you've just entered a living inky hell, kiddo." _And you have no idea how long we've waited for a new toy._

* * *

 ** **Yeah, it's a small chapter. It's just I didn't feel like adding the real chapter 2 to this. It seemed like it should be a separate thing altogether. However, Bendy and the Ink Machine was already a short game to begin with. Not having that much out there for the players yet.****

 ** **But this story will progress! We shall not stop!****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	5. I Am Alive

****Disclaimer: Hey! It's me, Angel, with another marvelous chapter filled with ink and sass!****

 ** **TravisUmbra: Wouldn't you faint too?****

 ** **Mr. R3M: On the bulletin board when you enter the building.****

 ** **TazmaniaLizard: Thanks! I've only seen, what, a few Henry daughter stories? I wanted to try something new instead of female animators returning. So far, it's working out.****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks!****

 ** **I own Kate!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: May 17/18**

* * *

"Ugh… oh, my head." Letting out a small pained groan, I pushed myself to my knees, feeling the splintering wood under my palms. __What happened? The… last thing I remembered was… Bendy...__

Wait, BENDY!

"Oh god!" Scrambling up to my feet as my shoes slid out from under me, I spun around to stare at where I was asleep. __I was sleeping in the summoning circle!?__ Uh, NOPE! I jumped a foot into the air, throwing myself back against the wall. Nope, nope, NOPE. There's a lot of noping going on here, and I didn't like it! __Okay, okay. Now c-__ _ _c__ _ _alm down, and figure out what to do next.__

I was still in the sacrificial room, and by the looks of things, I was… not alone? The ax, which should have been sprawled out across the floor beside me, was now casually propped up against a coffin. "Who put you there?" I brought my weapon back into my hands, tossing the weighted end in my palm. Maybe I put it there before I fainted? _But… that seems too out there. Best not to think about it too much._ "Well, I guess there's only one thing to do: press on. Hopefully, I can figure out a way to bust out of this freak show."

So, let's see if I could backtrack first. I walked back to the path I originally came from, and slammed to a halt. "Oh my…" that's a problem if I ever saw one. The entire hallway had caved in on itself, with jagged boards sticking out from the ceiling and a large pile blocking any way of moving through. __Is that from the ink machine?__ I felt a slimy cold liquid smack against my cheek. Grimacing, I wiped off the… ink? "Eugh." Make that, huge pile of boards and a huge ink stain leaking into this floor level.

If I couldn't move backwards, then maybe… "I can go forward." Stopping in front of the boarded up door in the corner of the room I woke up in, I raised the ax. "Hiya!" Two hard whacks caused the beams to fall to my feet, broken in half. Grinning, I kicked them away from the door and opened it. "Let's go! Forward, march!" I walked out of the room, and stared down at another staircase. "Hmmm… hello?" I called, my voice bouncing off the walls. "Is anyone here?" Silence was my only response. "Great. So that means I'm still stuck in here with… Bendy?"

Actually, I wasn't sure ****what**** that was, that grabbed me before… h-how long ****was**** I knocked out for? Looking down at my pants pocket, I slid my phone out. Please work, please work, please wor-dang it! The screen was shattered. Cracked beyond repair, and the image flickered briefly while I tried to get it to start. However, I managed to catch a small glimpse of the time on the lock screen before it went out for good. _So, a few hours, huh? I hope dad isn't too worried. And mom, I guess._ Not like she'd ever care.

Anyways, the thing. I-I didn't get it. I've come to accept the freaky possibility that cartoons could… be real. Boris upstairs proved more than enough proof. So then… did ****Joey**** make Bendy come to life too? I mean, why? Why on earth would Joey do this? What was there to gain from making cartoons come to life? And… what went wrong?

"Ah!" I stumbled backwards, and grasped the door for support. Another board fell from the ceiling at the bottom of the stairs, splitting in half as it made contact with the floor. "Ah… ah…" I was hating this. I frowned, and made my way to the bottom of the stairs. I was really hating this. Any closer, and that could have shattered my skull. "Y'know, Bendy," I began. Hey, I know I was being followed by some creepy stalking demon, but I need someone else to talk to. "I was thinking of a more general hello, not needing an actual answer here. But hey! I don't mind the company." As long as you didn't try to kill me from behind…

I gripped the ax tighter at the thought, and paused to read the ink written on the wall. " ** **He will set us free.**** " Is… is this a shrine? I swiped a finger on the side of a dusty bowl filled with… I don't think I wanna know what this was. Stones, or… bones. Several cans of bacon soup sat on the shelve, along with melting candles; the wax slowly spread over the wood. I glared at the small Bendy image on the wall, and flicked my index finger on its forehead. "Jerk." Turning to the right, I found several more shrines exactly like this one. "Was this place… always so big?" I don't think dad ever mentioned so many floors before. And why was this place so inky? These are questions I may never get the answer to.

"Another recorder." I picked up the device, and pressed play. " ** **He appears from the shadows to rain his sweet blessings upon me.**** " Uhhh… what? " ** **The figure of ink that shines in the darkness. I see you, my savior, I pray that you hear me.**** "

What?

" ** **Those old songs, yes, I still sing them. For I know you are coming to save me. And I will be swept into your final loving embrace.**** "

What!?

" ** **But, love requires sacrifice. Can I get an amen?**** "

WHAT!? No! You couldn't get an amen! What were you gonna do if I refused, huh? The recording came to a stop, and I quickly sat it back down. I didn't like being thrown into a horror game, okay? It's not fun! "I said, can I get an amen?" "Holy!" I flung myself against the shrine, bumping a bowl to the floor. The white objects rolled around at my feet before coming to a halt on the creaking floor. Clutching the ax to my chest, I looked about.

"That was… not me." That voice… matched whoever made that tape. _Keep… keep going, Kate. Whatever you do, keep a cool head._ I slowly made my way towards the end of the room, staring cautiously at the Bendy cutout in front of another star. __Gee, Joey. I know that Bendy's a demon and all, but it's not like he's a real demon… right?__ Oh, I hope I got that wrong. Yet, it would explain a little about the audio recording I just heard. "I swear, Bendy. You aren't getting an amen out of me! You're the savior of… of…" I'm not one for swears, so I didn't want to damage any young invisible viewers. Wait. Why was I even thinking that…?

Oh well.

I walked to the end of the corridor, and sighed. "Oh boy." That's a lot of ink. With a deep breath and tensed body, I stepped into the black. Immediately, the inkiness swarmed my legs, climbing up to my knees and seeping in my shoes and jeans to stain my skin. "Cold. Cold. Cold." At least the rest of the building was relatively dry and insulated. I couldn't die from extreme temperatures in there.

I slowly sloshed through the hallway, sidestepping around fallen boards and dripping areas of the ceiling. Hating this. Really, really hating this. Grumbling, I leaned against the wall to take a breath, and froze. __What the… I'm not alone?__ A man, wearing white overalls similar to Boris and some object attached to his face walked past the door at the far end. His feet seemed to be covered in black boots, but it was hard to tell. It was as if his entire body was black. Just… just like the ink? A large Bendy cutout was stuck under his arm, and it looked like he was going to set it up. "Hello!" I shouted, and sped up through the ink as fast as I could. "Excuse me! Can you help me? Hello?" I grunted, yanking myself out of the liquid by the door frame, and turned the corner where the mystery guy went.

 _ _What?__ "Where… where the heck did he go?" The small area where he went only had a collapsed shelf of bacon soup and the Bendy standee. The chipper looking demon grinned back at me, standing in front of another star. "So now we're bringing teleportation into this? I don't like this." I turned around. "And I don't like the fact that now every time I see you, there's another ritual circle behind you!" I walked down the opposite path, and slapped a hand to my forehead. "Sure! Why not have another scavenger hunt!" I glared angrily at the three flashing buttons on the wall beside the closed gate, right beside a large stone... statue of Bendy on a pedestal looking down at me. _I blame you, ink demon!_ "Dang it!" Swinging my foot, I rammed it into a barrel before spinning around. "Ow! Grrr, dang it all!"

Fine. Fine. I could deal with this, somewhat. Let's get the show on the road before I start losing my mind even more so than I already had.

But first, I should check my feet to see if I broke any bones.

* * *

 ** **I have a good idea of how this is gonna be split up for the rest of the second chapter. Downside is, the third chapter will probably be released before I come home from cadet camp. This means that there will be a gap in between.****

 ** **Even if that wasn't the case, I only planned on typing as long as the chapters get released. I wanna follow the game as close as I can.****

 ** **Well, until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	6. The Dancing Demon

****Disclaimer: Angel here, with another creepy chapter of Bending Reality.****

 ** **TravisUmbra: I don't know why, but having a sarcastic fourth wall break makes me laugh. If she's annoyed now, then the searchers are really gonna tick her off.****

 ** **TazmaniaLizard: The whistling happens if you walk backwards through the ink where the jump scare is, by the door. Maybe I'll throw that in. I added that fan made song in one chapter, who knows what else I'll do.****

 ** **Mr. R3M: I'm not leaving yet. But at this speed, I should have the game's second chapter done before I go. Hopefully. If chapter 3 comes out while I'm gone, I'll continue when I come back.****

 ** **MagicMakerRose: If you're able, let me know where the errors are. I try to strive for perfection. I've seen a few OC stories with the Henry-daughter angle, but I wanted to go a bit deeper. Glad you're liking it so far!****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Three stories at once is indeed an accomplishment. How I can handle my Gravity Falls novel, the Undertale story, and now this is beyond me. Yet I am able to handle it all, and still have time for school. Well, until camp starts.****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: For now you must, build up our machine you die tonight!****

 ** **I only own Kate!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: May 17/18**

* * *

"Alright then, let's start at the beginning." I put my hands on my hips, looking around the first room. _I hear it's a very good place to start._ Having to trudge back through the ink was not fun, but there had to be switches where I first started. I walked over to where the disturbing recording was, and shuffled through the cans of bacon soup before looking up. "Bingo!"

A small switch was on the top shelf, mounted to a beam next to a small Bendy with an open swinging panel cover. Grinning, I pressed the switch, watching a glowing yellow light appear above it as I closed the box. "One down, two to go." So… there's nothing left down in this part of the floor-wait. I paused, and looked up by a beam next to the exit of the room. __Well, that's certainly hidden.__ The second switch was a few feet above my head, forcing me to stand on my toes to hit it. "Clever, Drew. Real clever." _Not closing that one though. Can barely reach it as it is._ Now that I found two of three switches, did that mean I had to swim through the ink again?

… yes, yes it did.

"Dang it," I grumbled, the chilling black goo swarming my legs once again. Hoisting myself out from the hall, I moved to the shelf next to the Bendy standee. "Can. Can. Can," I muttered, tossing the soup onto the floor. "Yes!" Hitting the switch, I stood up, but not before glaring at the cutout. "Ya know, I'm gonna be holding a slight grudge against you for what you pulled upstairs. Honestly, did I even deserve that, Bendy?"

"..."

"Yeah, well… here's what I have to say to you." I slammed the ax in his face, the cardboard breaking apart at the impact. "I don't take kindly to threats and jump scares, Bendy. Keep that in mind." I marched off to pull the switch by the gated door, and gave a final look behind me. "Uh…" __it's back. B-Bendy's back. Wh-why is he back!?__ The standee was put back together, as if I didn't just ax it to death. The cheesy grin seemed to taunt me, begging me to try that again. __Ah, NOPE!__ I jogged over to the panel, quickly flipping the huge switch. A pause, and the sudden sound of gears shifting filled the air. Backing up, I laughed uneasily as the door moved upwards, allowing me to progress to the next area.

"Save point: reached!" I entered the small corridor, and gasped. The other side of the boarded up door lit up. Someone turned on a light. That's… that's not a comforting thought. __Please don't be Bendy, please don't be Bendy.__ A few whacks to the wood later, I cautiously crept into the new area. It was practically pitch black, save for the random light lighting up the doorway I came from. " **Music department?** " I raised a brow at the large sign across from me, complete with images of records, musical notes, and music sheets, before I finally noticed the different hallways coming off the room. The ceiling was quite high in the center, being partially covered in metal grates to hide the ink pipes overhead. Ink splattering covered spots in the floor, and all over the walls. It seemed that, no matter where I went, the liquid would continue to follow me. "Why do I have the sneaking suspicion I'm going on another treasure hunt…?" It almost seemed to be a common theme on my mission, which wouldn't be too bad if I wasn't scared out of my wits.

 _Now… where to next? Hmmm... let's go left._ Letting the ax dangle in my hand, I headed down the hall, pausing to look at an image of Bendy splashing in an ink puddle with an umbrella in his hand. __Creepy, but… kinda adorable.__ Smiling at the aged artwork, I patted the wall beside Bendy before entering the new room. "Wow. Ha ha, this is incredible." A huge room, filled with music sheets and instruments. Looking up, I noticed how high the ceiling was in this area, and the balcony high to the right of me. "Cool!" I quietly shouted, and laughed as my voice echoed around the room. "Hehehe. What else is in here?"

Well, there's a recording booth in the corner, right below a large Bendy head. The shining plastic wall was visible under the recording sign, faintly dimming and lighting to indicate someone was inside. _Yet, no one's there. Odd, how an abandoned place still has power like it does._ A few cartoon posters here and there, and-oh look! Another recorder! I picked it up, tucking the ax under my arm and hit play. " ** **It may only be my second month working for Joey Drew, but I can already tell, I'm gonna love it here! People really seem to enjoy my Alice Angel voice.**** "

Alice Angel? Dad had mentioned another character besides Bendy and Boris, and I couldn't recall her that often enough in the cartoons I did own. " ** **Joey says she may be as popular as Bendy some day. These past weeks, I have voiced everything, from talking chairs to dancing chickens. But this is the first character I really felt a connection with, like she's a part of me.**** " Well, seeing how we're dealing with some dark magic and living cartoons, it wouldn't surprise me if this voice actress and her cartoon were joined together. " ** **Alice and I, we're going places.**** " __Are you going to places where you're worshiped and sacrificed to? Because you're at the right place.__

Time to move on. Setting the recorder on the ledge of the booth, I made my way towards the exit. __I wonder…__ I glanced at one of the music stand, reading the title of the piece. " ** **The Lighter Side of...**** " ha, nope! Nope, nope. Not today, not gonna be dealing with any crazy demons and freaky worshiping today. Goodbye!

After entering the main room, I grinned at the stairway that exited the music department. "Finally!" Running over, I almost threw myself down the stairs as I found my one way out blocked. A large pond of ink flooded the stairwell, preventing me from opening the door. "Of course! My one way out: flooded!" Sighing, I examined the power switch beside me. "If I'm getting out, I'm gonna have to figure out how to drain this." Hopefully, this would help. I gripped the handle, and pulled it down with a small grunt.

Three hollow thumps echoed through the floor, and I saw the lights behind me had turned on. "Well, I guess that helps." So, I checked out the left wing, speculation suggested the right wing was the next option. I headed towards the small staircase, and noticed a new poster on the wall. " ** **Alice Angel. Sent From Above.**** " Why did she have a halo and devil horns?

Shrugging at the odd animation design, I made my way to the projection booth. "What the… how'd that get down there?" A Bendy standee sat in one of the chairs in the orchestra pit, grinning at me. "Hi, Bendy," I nervously waved. "Don't mind me, just… trying to figure stuff out." Another recorder. These seemed to be becoming a common theme in the studio. Not that I didn't mind listening to them though. They provided some insight as to what had happened that left the animation workshop in disarray. " ** **Everyday the same strange thing happens. I'll be up here in my booth, the band will be swinging, and suddenly Sammy Lawrence just comes marching in and shuts the whole thing down. Tells us all to wait in the hall.****

 ** **Then I hear him. He starts up my projector, and he dashes from the projector booth and down to the recording studio like the little devil himself was chasing behind. Few seconds later, the projector turns off. But Sammy, he won't come out for a long time. This man is weird. Crazy weird.****

 ** **I have half a mind to talk to Mr. Drew, I really do. But then again, I have to admit. Mr. Drew has his own… peculiarities.**** " _Wait a minute._ I brought a hand to my chin in thought. If this Sammy guy was that messed up, same as Joey… could-could he have been the one who set up those shrines? __This is getting more confusing the farther I go, I swear.__ Heading backstairs, I finally had a goal set. Turning the bend, I headed back to the lower part of the room. "Looks like this is going-AAHH!"

Ink blobs! Ink blobs were alive! Flipping pancakes with syrup, I did not ask for this! Four… things, sprang up form the floor, scattering ink dollops around them as one fell from a pipe in the ceiling that was open right above the floor in front of the sign. They had a human appearance… y'know, if a human had no legs, no facial features, and was made of ink. I raised the ax above my head, and quickly blocked an arm, black claws extended to attack me. Its body was stretched out, getting thinner the farther it went down its torso to extend its deadly reach. "Ah!" I was knocked back a few feet, before regaining myself. Quickly, I slid across the floor on my knees, and swung the ax through the monster. It broke apart, and I watched the ink break apart into smaller pieces. Nodding at the defeat, I turned to the other three blobs, and launched myself at them. Swinging my ax as hard as I could, I shattered two of the monsters. The last one, unfortunately-"Ah!"-got a good attack on my right arm. A mixture of ink and blood dripped onto the floor, creating a twisted hue of colors. Hissing in pain, I quickly regained my composure long enough to aim at its head, smirking slightly in satisfaction as it was brought down. It was still hair-raising, however. Regardless of my expression, I was close to passing out from how rapid my heart was beating. Even now, despite the fact the blobs were taken down, the areas where they spawned continued to bubble and shift in place, not spreading out over the floor.

"Errr…" I raised my arm to examine it, frowning. "Gross." _Doesn't look too bad, but n_ _ow what?_ A soft rustling came behind me, and as I whipped around a small rag was tossed around a corner. "Huh…? Wh-what?" Looking around, I crept up to the cloth, picking it up hesitantly. It was as clean as one could get in an ink infested building. But it'd have to do, unless I wanted to risk an infection. "Wait. So… who left this then?" Looking around, I spotted a Bendy cutout leaning up against the wall. "Bendy?" I glanced from the rag to the demon. "Did… did you give me this, Bendy?"

No surprise, it didn't answer. Walking up to the standee, I grinned, patting its head. "Thanks, Bendy. At least… someone is trying to keep me calm." I tied the cloth around the wound, making sure the ink stains weren't getting into the gouge. Leaning against the department's sign tiredly, I gave a long sigh. "I don't know why you're stalking me, or possibly trying to kill me, but… but don't I get a chance to explain myself? Are you angry with all humans, or… or is it because of the old workers?" I felt the demon's forehead, finding it slightly warm. __This is… just a coincidence.__ "I don't know if it was you or Joey who wrote to my dad, but I'm not leaving until I get answers as to what's going on around here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a puzzle to solve."

I gave a mock salute before leaving it, and walked over to a recorder mounted to the wall beside us. " ** **So first, Joey installs this ink machine over our heads. Then it begins to leak. Three times last month we couldn't even get out of our department because the ink had flooded the stairwell. Joey's solution? An ink pump to drain it periodically. Now I have this ugly pump switch right in my office. People in and out all day. Thanks, Joey. Just what I needed. More distractions! These stupid cartoon songs don't write themselves you know.**** "

That voice… it sounded just like the guy from where I had first woken up. But… something seemed off. He sounded obsessed with Bendy before, so then why did he seem to hate him here? "What do you think Bendy…?"

He's gone. How the-? H-he was right there! Literally, only a few feet away! How could he have moved!? "I-I don't even wanna know." The grinding sound I heard when I flipped the switch, not only brought back the power, but opened the gated door next to the orchestra pit. Giving a wary look at where the cutout once was, I headed down the new wing.

I stopped at the door on the right, and twisted the knob. "Huh. Didn't think that would work." I stepped into room, seeing a large piano. _No. Organ. These pipes aren't normally seen on a normal piano._ "What's this doing here?" I asked aloud, and examined the dusty keys. "Hmmm…" I pressed down on a few of them, and shivered at the ghastly sound the instrument emitted. "Well, that's inter-"

"Nooooo…!" A muffled moan interrupted me, and I spun around to look at the door. __There's… no one there. Then… what was that?__ I shot a look at the piano. __Okay, maybe I__ _ ** _am_**_ _ _starting to lose it in here.__ Backing out of the room, I went to check the next open door. __Maybe being in this building is starting to affect me.__ All that was in there was a Boris poster, some music sheets, and a sketch of Bendy with the same facial expressions. "Why does it say they're different feelings? They're all the same image," I noted.

Maybe there's an answer as to how to drain the ink further down the hall. " ** **Sammy Lawrence. Music department director.**** " So this was where his office was. If that's the case, then the drain was in there! A Bendy standee was waiting for me by the door, but I realized I couldn't do anything else. A large ink leak prevented me from getting in through the door, spraying at a high pressure against the wood and forcing it shut. Not too mention the small flooding at the base of the ledge from where it slightly dipped down. "Well, ain't that a leak. Maybe if I cut the flow, I could get in."

I looked around to see if there's a clue, and found a recorder on the wall opposite of the leak, surrounded by ink splatters. " ** **So, I go to get my dustpan from the hall closet the other day.**** " That's Wally. The voice was the exact same from the first machine from upstairs. " ** **And guess what? I can't find my stupid keys. It's like they disappeared into thin air or something. All I can think of is that they must have fallen into one of the garbage cans as I was making my rounds last week. I just hope nobody tells Sammy. Because if he finds out I lost my keys again, I'm out of here.**** "

Well then why would you record yourself saying that? And leave it in an open hallway? "Man, can anyone think straight in here?" Alright, so I was looking for a set of keys. Think, Kate. Didn't you see something back in the main room?

"… by the Alice poster!" My eyes lit up in remembrance. "Of course!" Running back, I slid into the wall at the end, my dress shoes sliding on the ink. "Ow." Groaning, I shook off the impact, and walked over to the garbage can around the corner by the small flight of stairs leading to the projection space. "Bingo."

With a satisfying clunk, I opened Wally's broom closet that was back at the end of the hall where I found the tape, across the room from Sammy's office. "Another tape. What a surprise!" Sarcasm; a girl's best friend. " ** **Every artistic person needs a sanctuary. Joey Drew has his, and I got mine. To enter, you need only know my favorite song: the banjo playfully clucks. The banjo, once again, strums its melody. The violin shudders with a piercing voice. The violin again screams. Sing my song and my sanctuary will open to you.**** " Banjo, banjo, violin, violin. That must be the order I have to play those instruments in the orchestra room. And if the other recording was any clue, I had to start the projector first for it to work.

"Gotta go fast," I muttered as I headed up the stairs. "Gotta go fast. Gotta go faster, faster." I casually looked down in the pit, and tensed. Why on earth were there ****five**** of them now!? Why's that a thing!? Shaking my head, I turned it on and ran back to the room. I actually knew the cartoon that was playing in the machine. Well, the small clip loaded in. Tombstone Picnic. It was one of the first Bendy cartoons dad had ever shown to me, and I absolutely loved it to death. That was until the tape went and broke, shredding the film to the point we could never play it again. _Focus, Kate. Focus._ __Just play the song, and get to the door-and they're gone now. Great. Greeaaat. GREEEAAAAT!__ _Pushing off the concern for the missing cutouts,_ I strummed the banjo twice, the instrument lying against the wall beside the door, and moved swiftly to the violin on the chair beside it. Quickly, I plucked a string twice while keeping an eye on the screen above in case it turned off without warning. With a surprised jump as it turned off once I retracted my hand, I watched the door move upwards on the opposite side of the room.

"Yes!" I walked into the hall past a few boards and three cellos lined up in a row across from a violin on a shelf, finding a… toilet next to another ritual circle. _The heck?_ Gee, Sammy, you sure had weird tastes in sanctuaries. A desk was pushed up into a corner, with a stool, melting candles that was still very much lit, a Bendy plush, and a banjo. " **Sing a happy song. Whistle a merry tune. Wait for his arrival. He's coming very soon.** " _So… still not liking this._

"Well, here we go." Sitting the ax by my feet, I gave a loud grunt, and slowly cranked the wheel opposite from the twisted setup the music director had built. The sound of the ink moving throughout the room died down, and I picked up the weapon once again. "That should do it."

Now, to go back and get into-"AAHHH!" I screamed. _Sure, why not play another round of hide and seek!_ "Bendy! Gah, for crying out loud!" Inhaling deeply, I stormed down the hallway, and glared around the corner. Bendy laid against the wall, and I could've sworn that grin was more of a smirk than anything else. "Screw you, Bendy! Screw! YOU!"

* * *

Now, did I like it that this human was wandering around the studio. No, in fact, I was half tempted to kill her on the spot when she first entered. Seriously, did she really think I was that inky copy cat? Hell no! I was my own person! Did I like it that she kept acknowledging my cutouts as a real person, despite believing I wasn't real and proving how disillusion she probably was?

…I did, actually. She treated me like I wasn't just some cartoon, some random drawing on paper. No one had done that in years. No other animator, not one. Except for… him.

But what she said earlier… so she ****was**** one of the old worker's kids. But who? The only one that bore any resemblance to her with the pale skin and black hair was… Henry.

 _She's Henry's brat.. sh-she intercepted the letter before he got it? Ooh boy, that's not good._ Well, for her, at least. Couldn't really say the same for the other guy. "Heh… hehehe. Ah, Joey. You're in a bit of a pickle, aren't you? Just wait until you find out 'bout this."

* * *

 ** **Largest chapter of the story right here. I hope you like it.****

 ** **Side note. I know that in the real game, it takes multiple trips to and from the projection room for all the Bendy's to appear. I didn't want to do that. Thought I'd speed things along.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	7. RUN AWAY!

****Disclaimer: Evening everyone! Well, evening for me. Here's the next part of Bending Reality! I just couldn't wait, and since I'm not here Sunday, I decided to post early!****

 ** **TravisUmbra: Who knows. That probably won't be answered until chapter 3 in the game.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Thanks!****

 ** **SaltnPeppaDiner: This is supposed to be a horror game, but this story had turned into a comedy somehow. Not that I'm complaining, this makes me laugh as I write.****

 ** **Mr. R3M: Thank you!****

 ** **TazmaniaLizard: She doesn't notice him. She's more focused on the searchers, and axing them to the face.****

 ** **You should know by now who belongs to who.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: May 17/18**

* * *

After striking down about half a dozen ink blobs in the orchestra room that spawned the moment I stepped out of the hallway-which was totally unfair in how they gained up on me-and suffering a few more scratches, I made my way back to Sammy's office. The injuries weren't as massive as the one that blob gave me earlier, as I wasn't bleeding, but they would still sting for a while. _I seriously need to come up with a name for those things instead of blobs._ "Okay, now let's-ah!" Sure, why not have one of them guarding the doorway? "Die sucker! Die!" I slammed the ax into its head, panting as the ink melted. "I… am… hating thi-!?"

The pipe was still working. But… that didn't make any sense. I turned off the valve, right? So what was I missing? "Unless… unless there was a second valve to fully stop the ink flow. Think. Where didn't you go yet?" There was that one hallway on the left across from the organ room I had never checked yet. Perhaps that would be the best option. Sparing a quick glance at the sign by the staircase, indicating my new direction was towards the infirmary, I descended downwards to the new area. " **Anyone found faking illness will be docked a full week's wages. Not sick. Not paid.** " _Wanted your workers here no matter what, huh, Joey?_

Whacking the monster at the bottom of the stairs upside the head, I ignored how inky the room was in keeping my mind on what was ahead of me. There were still chairs and desks set up, just like almost every other room I'd been in, except for an eye chart and medical bed in the lower corner of the room beside a Bendy standee. If I looked hard enough, I'd probably find a first aid kit too. A large ink pipe stood in the corner beside a power switch, and to my disappointment, there was no valve to turn.

"Guess I have to keep going downwards." I looked over my shoulder to another area behind me. A utility shaft. Pulling the switch, I began to move deeper into the studio. There were many levels built into the levels. It made me wonder how large Joey Drew Studios really was. If it only appeared to be what, two stories outside, then how far into the ground was it made?

" **Down here we're all sinners.** " I read the inky message that appeared in my vision the moment the mechanical door opened up, as another Bendy awaited my arrival at the bottom. _That is in noway comforting._ "Just keep focusing. Keep. Focusing!" Stepping into the inky sewer system at the end, and keeping my eyes away from the ominous giant pipe to my right where who knows where it led, I headed to the left as fast as I could. I-I wasn't scared, I was just-I didn't want to be down there any longer than I had to.

Sliding to a halt at a boarded up section, I blinked. An ink blob bobbed up and down a few feet ahead of me on the other side, holding the valve I was looking for… and wearing a bowler hat? "The heck?" Knocking down the boards, the action startled it enough to drop back into the river of black at my feet, vanishing from sight. Shaking my head in confusion, I looked up. " **The sheep will come to slaughter.** "

"… yeah, focus is gone now." Nothing else interrupted my movement into the shaft, except I ended up stumbling across what appeared to be another sanctuary. A small lift on the right that guaranteed no inky floor, with music sheets, a violin, a can of bacon soup, and a mug. "And a recording to boot."

" **I love the quiet, and that's hard to come by these busy times. And yeah, sure it may stink to high heaven down here. But it's just perfect for an old lyricist like me. Sammy's songs always got some bounce, but if I didn't get away once in a while, they'd never have any words to go with them. So I'll keep my mind a-singin' and my nose closed.** " I giggled a little at how the man ended his thoughts, as it was clear that he had something plugging his nostrils to keep the smell out. As an artist, I was used to the smell of ink. Me, and my dad. However, unlike us, my mom certainly was bothered with it. _Still, I_ _think I'd like this guy._

The walkway led to a room off to the side, with two massive generators. No doubt, this was what supplied the building with electricity. And there, right across from me, was the ink blob from before. " **Sing with me** " was written behind its head, and I slowly approached the monster. It didn't seem like it was going to attack me, and if I could help it, I didn't want to hurt it either. Just leave it on its merry way, and take the valve with me. "… e-excuse me," I spoke, keeping still a few feet in between. "May I have that valve?" The monster's head snapped upwards and at my direction. It didn't move, but seemed to be ready to bolt at any time. "I need to stop the ink flow in order to get out of here. I don't want to hurt you, okay? I just want the valve so I can get out."

The blob dipped up and down, almost as if it were breathing. Its head tilted downwards to examine the piece I needed in its hands, before tossing it away. The device splashed down at my feet, and I smiled back. "Thank you. Nice hat, by the way." The creature shifted, and I wasn't sure if it understood me or not. If I had rushed it, it would have led to a game of chase around the room. _Or I could have used those power levers on the machines and seen what those could've done._ But at the same time… I wanted to avoid any futile violence. Those monsters that attacked me without thought, without reason had to be killed. This one, however, had at least some sentience to know that attacking wasn't going to solve anything.

Which then led to me ascending from the shaft to the pipe in the infirmary. Screwing it on and turning it, the sound of ink finally came to a halt. "There. Now that door should be clear to access." Heading up the stairs, I turned to the left and finally opened the door. There still was a few inches of ink at the entrance, but I could now reach where I couldn't have gone before. I walked straight over to the pump control lever, and flipped it down without a second thought. "There. That ought to do it." I looked over at the table, and frowned at a set of schematics for some… machine. __That doesn't look promising.__ It actually looked like the ink machine. But… why was that down here? In a music department no less. Frowning, I glanced at the radio beside it. "Hmmm..." I flicked the knob, and another ragtime piano song blared out of the speakers. "Not bad. Not bad at all." Odd how those radios, the one above and this one, were placed in areas I couldn't get to until the end. _Almost like an achievement... sort of._

" ** **It's time to believe.**** " _Believe in what? Bendy? I certainly hope_ _d_ _not_. I stepped out of the room, glaring at the inky message on the wall before making my way towards the final set of stairs. "So, all that's left now is to head down the stairwell and we're home fr-"

A blunt object whacked against the back of my head, and I dropped to the ground in a heap, rolling onto my back dizzily. "Wh… what…?" Blurring vision prevented me from seeing straight, but I was half certain that the thing that knocked me out was... "B-Bendy…?" _W… with a_ _dust pan_ _…?_

"Rest your head, it's time for bed."

* * *

"There we go now. Nice and tight. We wouldn't want our sheep roaming away now, would we?" __H-huh…?__ Lazily, I felt my eyelids start to open, black spots danced in my vision. __Wait, what happened before…!? Bendy!__ I shot up in alarm. An ink monster stood in front of me, wearing a pair of filthy white overalls and a Bendy mask. _W-wait, is this the guy from before?_ The grin was smashed out, allowing dark eyes to study me with an almost insane look, if it weren't for the fact I couldn't see his eyes. If he even had eyes, that is. _Wh-what the heck is going on? Why can't I move!?_ I struggled to stand up, to move any limb at all, and suddenly realized why I couldn't.

This… thing, tied me to a freakin' poll! My arms were tied behind me, and at my position, my legs were practically useless. __Where's the ax!?__ I looked around quickly, finding it on the floor at his feet, and out of my own reach. __Dang! Now what do I do!?__ "No, we wouldn't," he said, ignorant of my being awake. "I must admit I am… honored you came all the way down here to visit me. It almost makes what I'm about to do seem… cruel." He picked up the ax, cradling it gently as his voice tried to sooth me, ease my worries. Ha! Like that was actually working!

 _But w_ _hat ARE you about to do… oh no. No, no. No. NO. I'm-I'm sitting in a ritual circle. Not good, not good at ALL._ The inky design was painted around and underneath me, filling me with terror. I-I was being used as a sacrifice. "But the believers must honor their savior. I must have him notice me." __No! No, I don't want your creepy senpai to devour me to notice you!__ "Wait. You look familiar to me… that face…"

"I-I'm K-Kate," I stuttered, somehow finding my voice after it was lodged in my throat. "K-Kate B-Bowens? Henry's d-daughter?" C'mon, girl. Think! Why did this freak seem so… familiar? Is he…? "S-Sammy Lawrence?" No way. No way was this the guy from those recordings. This guy was-he wasn't even human. _What happened to him?_

Sammy chuckled darkly, and I flinched backwards, whacking my head against the poll. "An offspring of Henry's. How… perfect." What the heck did he mean by that!? Why was that perfect!? "Not now. Four our lord is calling to us, my little sheep. The time of sacrifice is at hand!" NO! No, it wasn't! "And then, I will finally be freed from this… prison. This inky… dark… abyss I call a body." He examined his arms, showing clear disgust for what he'd become. _That… that or he really thinks Bendy's coming to take him into the next life._

Well, I liked my body! "S-Sammy, please! Y-You don't have to do this!" Sammy reached forward, and held a hand to my mouth. Just as Bendy had done, the bitter taste of ink flooded my mouth. "Ack!" I gagged at the taste, but the corrupted man didn't seem to notice, or even care.

"Shhhh… quiet! Listen! I can hear him." As he said that, we looked upwards. Several loud thumbs came from the floor above, knocking dust down from the ceiling overhead. "Crawling above. Crawling!" He pulled his hand away, and I spat out the ink in disgust. "Let us begin. The ritual must be completed!" No, it doesn't! It's not a requirement! "Soon he will hear me… he will set us free," he leered, leaning into my personal bubble. I spat more ink onto the floor, and tried to remove the small amount trailing down the back of my throat. Glaring in the direction Sammy went as he straightened up, I watched him walk off into a room on the side.

"Good riddance, ya loser," I snapped. I looked behind me at the ropes binding me, and frowned. Time to hurry. If what ink boy was saying was true, then I had to get out of here ASAP. I began tugging on the binds, the rope digging into my wrists and making red marks on my ink stained skin.

"Sheep, sheep, sheep. It's time for sleep," Sammy's voice sickly sang from the speakers in front of me, mounted above several lit candles. "Rest your head. It's time for bed. In the morning, you may wake. Or in the morning, you'll be dead." That was an option! I choose life! "Hear me, Bendy!" Sammy cried. I shot up to see the gated door in front of me begin to rise, and I hurried even faster to free myself. __Almost… there…!__ "Arise from the darkness! Arise and claim my offering! Free me! I beg you!"

"No, thank you! No, thank you!" I shouted, and finally freed a hand. "Yes!" I began to untie the other hand, freeing me from the rope burns I had inflicted.

"I summon you, Ink Demon! Show your face and take this tender sheep!" I was not a sheep! I proudly identified as an attack helicopter. "No! My lord!" Abruptly, the tone Sammy was using changed. I glanced up at the speakers worriedly. What's happening? "Stay back! I am your prophet! I am your-AAAHHH!" The speakers let out a shriek, and I suddenly found myself having the energy to break free of the last bond.

"Time to run!" I ran through the two walls of loose planks, scooping up the ax along the way. "Ah! I don't have time for you!" I ducked the two ink blobs springing up from the ground, and the two just beginning to rise up, and hurried down the hallway. Whacking at the boards boarding up the exit, I almost didn't notice the surprising sight in the corner.

"The… ink machine," I breathed, almost hesitating before picking up the speed in taking down the boards. The machine that started this entire mess was moving alongside me, heading deeper, and deeper into the studio. Wh-where was it going? _No, better still, who was calling it?_ I didn't have time to think this over. I had to keep moving. Now.

I quickly climbed out of the ink pit and stared at… what was I staring at? A huge ink pond filling a room? Why… was this here? I crept towards it, holding the ax by my head when…

"OH MY GOD!" Freakin' Bendy! He's back! Giant ink monster's back! The… thing, looked like Bendy, but… but it was something out of a nightmare. It towered above me, ink dripping off its large curved head like a faucet. The appearance was exactly like from that vision I had before passing out in the circle, with one normal human shaped hand and a cartoon gloved one. While his eyes were masked, the mad toothy grin that stretched across his face made my blood run cold. The demon turned to look at me, locking eye contact. Th-the grin he gave me…

The lights began to flicker on and off, and I felt the ink lake begin to seep forward, covering my feet. Tendrils of ink appeared on the walls, and the entire room and the hallways around me darkened. The demon immediately got into a crouched position, and the effect was instant. "MOVE!" I flung myself around, finding the old pathway blocked. "Why!?" I slid against the wooden floor, and chased down the right corridor. I nervously looked behind me, and saw the demon turn the corner, chasing after. I-it was limping. I-I had no idea why, but Bendy was with a limp. That certainly didn't slow down his pace though! I could feel the gloved hand swipe at my vest, missing me by inches as I bolted around a corner. My feet bounded up the small set of stairs and I ran into an open room in front of me. As fast as I could, I grabbed a board beside the door, and blocked the entrance, slamming it down across two holds on either side that almost seemed to be made for such an occasion. Loud pounding came from the other side, as the demon furiously tried to bust in and take me.

Panting, I backed away from the door, and tensely made my way into the next room. "That was… was that… Bendy!?" It… it couldn't be. Unless… unless he was either a real demon, or… or Joey had something to do with this. I wouldn't put it past him, after what he did to Boris. I looked at the next corner I had to make, and came to a halt.

A can of bacon soup. I watched the object roll across the floor from the hallway across from me, and bounce against the wall harmlessly away from my feet. _I'm not alone._ "Hello? Is someone… there?" I gripped the weapon, and got into a stance in case I had to fight or flight. No way was I backtracking, or whatever happened next, I was going through that hall. "I know you're in here. Come out and show yourself."

Footsteps began to approach, and I backed up slowly, preparing myself. __Please don't be Bendy. Please don't be Bendy.__ _Wh-what…?_

Honestly, out of ****everything**** I had come to expect out of this creepypasta madhouse, this… wasn't something I had expected. The tall wolf cartoon watched me curiously as he waltzed around the corner, stopping a few feet short of me and tilted his head to the side in confusion. "B-Boris?"

* * *

 ** **Here's the end of chapter 2! I'll try my hardest to keep an eye out for chapter 3 while I'm gone, but don't expect any updates for a while until either chapter 3 comes out or when I return from cadet camp in August.****

 ** **So yeah, there's a small hiatus. But don't worry! I shall return!****

 ** **Until next time faithful readers!****

 ** **Angel****


	8. Fallen Angel

****Disclaimer: I'M ALIIIVE! Hiatus is over, and chapter freaking three is OUT! WOO HOO! A lot has happened since I last posted a chapter in here, for example, university. Sorry to say this, but expect irregular updates. Hopefully, this won't be abandoned for so long again. Good news though. Chapter 3 is much larger than 1 and 2, and with a lot more content to boot. Gonna be able to make several chapters out of that.****

 ** **TravisUmbra: I like sarcasm. It's funny to read and imagine in your head.****

 ** **MagicMakerRose: She did speak some. And I'm glad you're liking the story!****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: I AM ALIVE!****

 ** **TazmaniaLizard: Probably. Most likely. YES. Looks like our patience has paid off, huh?****

 ** **Mr. R3M: Thanks!****

 ** **RillFipher: Okay, you caught me. I tend to reference Mark in my story. I've never played the game before, so I look to others for what happens. Plus, some of what he says is hilarious. :)****

 ** **Dragon of Yin and Yang: Same!****

 ** **redvintage888: Thanks! I don't know about the song. Kate did notice it playing on one of the radios, but that's about it.****

 ** **TazmaniaLizard (again): I know! I found it when I was staffing at cadet camp. It was awesome!****

 ** **Miraculous Pink Ninja: Please continue!****

 ** **I OWN KATE!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: May 17/18**

* * *

 _ _What… what happened?__ Groaning, I sat up, holding my head as the pounding faded out. Okay, Kate. Let's rewind for a second and think about what happened. I get chased by creepy ink Bendy, blocked off the entrance to the room, and… oh.

Boris.

Ho-he-wh-wh-how was HE alive!? He was all gooey and cut open upstairs! How'd he get down there!? "Argh! Couldn't anything make any dang sense in this twisted fun house of nightmares!?" Sitting up, I clumsily got to my feet and looked around me. I was in a small room with a Boris poster, a hammock hanging over a foot locker, and a Bendy clock that resembled one of those old-timey black and white cat ones. Y'know, the ones with the moving eyes and tail?

Looking up at the whirling fan creating a small soothing breeze, I sighed in relief. Wherever I was, it was safe. __Wait. What was I resting on?__ Looking behind me, I couldn't help the tiny smile on my face. A cot was set up in the corner, with a thin blanket at the foot that no doubt fell off my when I woke up. At least whoever brought me here knew how exhausted I was. I probably collapsed the moment I ran into Boris. _Did Boris bring me here?_ I still had no idea if the wolf was on my side or not, after… the Bendy episode. But right now, it was a comforting thought having someone helping me out.

"And no ax. Great, just great." _Weaponless. Let's hope that doesn't last long._ I tightened my braid's elastic and looked over at the door. Should I risk it? Probably. I'd been trapped inside this building for who knows how long, and I couldn't remain there forever. I needed answers. And if I couldn't find Mr. Drew, then I guess… Boris would have to do.

"I'm hunting down a cartoon for answers to an occult built around an animation studio," I mumbled, and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind me. "I'm seriously gonna need therapy after this." Directly across from me were a set of overalls and underpants hanging on a fence, ink dripping off of them. "Ew." Left or right. Left or right… left.

Going into the new room, I blinked in surprise, A line of old sinks filled one side of the room, along with a dirty mirror covered in scratches and a floor flooded with inky water. "A bathroom. Well, at least it's something semi-normal in here." Not gonna even bother with the plumbing. It's more than likely all inked up too, and the cause of the floor's state.

Walking back out, I turned down the right door and froze. "Oh." Boris. The wolf was sitting at the far end of the room beside a banjo, resting a hand on the table. __Not gonna back out. Not gonna back out.__ Mentally prepping myself, I walked over to him. A deck of cards was laid out in front of him along with a small candle. Boris nodded his head to the music in the background playing on the speakers, making me wonder how such a simple guy… wolf… thing, ended up in this situation.

I stopped in front of him, but felt my voice get stuck in my throat. Boris continued nodding to himself, seemingly unaware of my presence. __Okay then?__ _ _Maybe he's wondering what I was going to do next?__ Gulping, I moved down the room to the right. It's not that I was afraid of-oh, yes. I was terrified. After what happened with Sammy and Bendy, my trust factor and nerves were shot.

M _aybe there's a way out_ _this_ _way-NOPE!_ Bits and pieces of old paper, posters, and cardboard cutouts shaped some disturbing spider-like Bendy on the wall. At least I think it was him. The tutu, smile, and tie gave it away. "Okay then. That's… that's not a good sign. Maybe the other way?"

Spinning around, I speed walked back past Boris and over to the door on the left. No lever. "Maybe he has it," I mumbled to myself, and glanced back at Boris. Guess I had no choice but to talk to him after all. "H-hey… Boris," I said quietly, trying to control myself. "Have you seen the lever around here?" An idea popped into my head, and I smirked playfully. "Or are you holding it hostage until I make you some food?"

His silence I decided to take for a yes. I didn't think he could even speak, so I would have to rely on actions and expressions instead. "Thought so." Moving back towards the right, I stood up on my toes to grab a can of bacon soup on a box, then grabbed the one on the stove. __Need at least one more.__ _Wasn't there a_ _box_ _under the hammock?_

"Right." Running back, I flung it open and grabbed a can before returning to the stove and dumping the contents into the pot and flicking it on. The odd soup mixture seemed to cook quickly, as only a few minutes ticked by until I saw Boris give a small nod. _I guess that means we're good._ I dipped up some of the questionable liquid into a bowl and carried it over to Boris. "Here you go, pal." Boris took the bowl and sat it down, smiling thankfully. Reaching behind him, he dropped a toolbox on the table and went back to his music. __Okay? So I just made you soup for nothing?__ Flipping it open, I happily took the lever and went to insert it. Pulling it down, the door swung open to show a new hallway heading off to the left. __Wait a second.__ Turning back, I grinned at the wolf. "Thanks Boris!"

The wolf glanced over at me, and I could've sworn he smiled back again. "Okay, girl. Let's get this show on the road." I turned back to the door and stepped out into the area. A hand tapped my shoulder, and I jumped with a small shriek. "Wha-Boris!?" Boris stood behind me, still smiling. __He's… gonna follow me?__ I had a partner now. That's… well, at least he wasn't trying to kill me.

Yet…

"Let's see what's out there, huh? Don't wander off." Nodding, he lagged behind me as I surveyed our surroundings. Old lockers stood in the corner, covered in thick cobwebs. Walking down the end of the corridor, I paused to examine a wooden box with a slot at the top where one could look out. " ** **Little miracle station?**** " Was that a halo on the sign? Shaking my head, I turned around and gasped. A Bendy standee stood at the corner.

"I'm really disappointed with you, you know." I flicked its forehead, shaking my head. "What did I ever do to anger you? I've never even met you before today. I'm just a child entering the idiocy of adulthood." Okay, 20 is somewhat considered already adulthood. But I was young at heart!

Boris raised a brow at my actions, and I turned to face him. "What? I've been stuck in here for a while. I needed someone to talk to in order to keep my mind in tact." Shrugging at my excuse, he pointed ahead of us, and I realized our problem. "Pretty dark, isn't it? We'll need some light." My phone was out of the equation. It had gone on to the big cell company in the sky. _So what else could I… huh._ A flashlight sat on the table beside me, and I picked it up. Not a normal looking one, but I assumed it would get the job done. It had a heavy built, clearly used for working in rugged terrain. Flicking it on, we made our way into the darkness. The cartoon tensed as the door behind us closed, and I stepped back to keep beside him. "Don't worry, Boris. I'll light the way."

Gears and gauges whirred around us, and I moved a little closer to Boris for both of our comfort. The wolf seemed to be on the skittish side, as whenever I got a little too ahead, he started to shake nervously. The pumps and machinery didn't really scare me, but the loud noises in the pitch black in a haunted building made me more than a little jumpy too. "Ugh. There's ink everywhere." The goo trailed behind me as I accidentally stepped into a large puddle of it in the corner, leaving a long mark on the floor.

"Did you hear that?" I leaned back, making Boris bump into me. I could've sworn I heard something. Like footsteps. Turning to look at Boris, he shook his head negatively, but his eyes were anxiously looking up over our heads. "Yeah. Me either." Another Bendy. That wasn't a good sign. "Finally. We've reached the end." We stopped at the end of the tunnel, and I carefully tucked the light under my arm and tried to open the door. "Dead end. And I don't see any other way through. You have any ideas?" Turning back to Boris, I watched as he lifted a vent up off the floor and turned to me with an open hand. "Oh. Uh, here." I handed the light over, and Boris proceeded to crawl through the narrow opening. The gate closed behind him, and as I switched my sight from where the wolf went to where the metal door was, it slowly creaked open to give me passage. "Thank you, Boris."

Sticking my tongue out at the large Bendy head at the end of the hall, I took the turn on the right… and stopped in amazement. "Whoa… how big is this place? I mean, seriously?" They had a toy factory built in there too? A large stuffed Bendy doll sat in a corner, and a plush Boris sat further back under a machine dripping ink into a pool around it. A headless toy got bumped by my foot, but I was too focused to even give a second thought over the random dolls scattered about. Giant model planes hanging from the ceiling, and Bendy cutouts laying along the wooden walkways at the base of the stairs, against the walls themselves, and against couches in the corners. " ** **Heavenly Toys****." _Dad never mentioned any of this, and he was very thorough in his stories._ Dazed, I walked up to the machine, looking over the edge as I climbed a set of stairs on the side, and shivering at the amount of ink. __I may want to consider my career as an artist. Sorry dad.__

"Punch in," I smirked, and punched in the card in the slot. Walking into the room, I found yet another problem. "What is it with this place and blocked exits?" Maneuvering around the shelves, I stopped behind a stack of Bendy dolls to press play on a video recorder. Shelves that were clearly movable along a track stood on either side of me, lined up with Bendy, Alice, and Boris toys.

" ** **I don't be seein' what the big deal is. So what if I went and painted some of those Bendy dolls with a crooked smile? That's sure no reason for Mr. Drew to be flyin' off the handle at me. And if he really wants to be so helpful, he could be tellin' me what I'm to be doin' with this warehouse I got full of that angel whatchamacallit. Not a scrap of that mess be-a-sellin'! Probably have to melt it all down to be rid of it all.**** "

Jacksepticeye works here? The Irish accent almost made me want to burst into laughter. I wasn't sure of the whole story of Alice Angel, but apparently Sean-or Shawn-didn't like her. You know what? I'm calling this guy Jack, just because. __Is that ink toy... breathing?__ The small pure black toy beside the tape bobbed up and down, and I backed up. __That's... definitely not normal.__ "So I'm guessing from that clip that I need to turn on the machine. Think I saw the power switch back in the other room." Backing out of the room as fast as I could, I went and pulled the lever. "Right lever, Kronk!"

Gears were jammed though. Looks like I needed to fix that too. Jumping up, I began yanking the severed heads of the toys from the cog wheels, allowing them to flow freely. That's not too hard. "Done," I grinned. "Now to turn it on and move these shelves." Two cranks allowed the cases to move to the right and into the wall, freeing the door behind it.

" ** **She's quite a gal.**** " I frowned at the banner at the end of the room, seeing a door behind the dirty glass. An Alice standee stood on the side among the barrels and crates. "This… isn't going to be fun." Cautiously, I moved into the room, only for all the lights to switch off, plunging me into darkness. "Aah!" A quiet but melodious voice came through the old speakers, and small TV screens lit up with Alice's face, just like the start of an old cartoon. The lights on the floor flickered, adding to the terrifying scenario.

"Oh, sweet Septiceye, save me now!" I squeaked, trying my hardest to keep myself steady. Now that I listened more closely, it sounded like Alice was… singing. A song about herself, actually. As the song seemed to wind down, the light behind the glass where the door was turned on, earning a cry of alarm from me. "Oh, heck no." _I'm about to get jumpscared again, aren't I?_

" ** **I'M ALICE ANGEL!**** "

"Holy!" Screaming, I stumbled backwards and fell onto the floor. A demonic looking Alice appeared on the other side of the glass, hands slammed against the pane. Black inky arms and body that turned into a sickly off-white skin color at her shoulders, where what looked like dirt was smeared around the upper part of her dress, just above her breasts and bow. A black hole was all that was left of her left eye, and large jagged fangs made up half her mouth. I almost threw up when I realized that when her mouth moved, thin, gooey lines of ink tried to seal it back shut. But yet, it was only the left side. Her entire left side of her head was pulled back, misshapen. Two short but very pointy horns jutted out from the sides of her head, and her halo looked as if it was half embedded in her very skull through her long raven black hair. With a loud rage-filled roar, she brought her arms back and smashed the glass, turning out all the lights… and taking me out with them. _I really need to stop passing out… idiot._

Insane laughter filled my ears, going along with my pounding head, before she spoke. "I see you there~ A new fly in my endless web. Come along now, sweet child. Let's see if you're worthy to walk with angels." _Oh, give me a break._

* * *

 ** **There's so much to this new chapter, I'm gonna die happy during the long weekend coming up. You guys can look forward to these updates. Besides, I'm impressed I made this on the same day as the new update!****

 ** **I ought to wear my Bendy shirt I got at Hot**** ** **T**** ** **opic when I write. Get me in the mood, wouldn't you say?****

 ** **There's also been a few updates to the older chapters in the game, so I may or may not fix up my older chapters myself according to what I find useful.****

 ** **Well, until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	9. Demonic Angels Bring New Fears

****Disclaimer: Chapter 9! Took a little while to figure how to write this one, but I'm happy with the results. Who knew that the last chapter would get so much attention? Guess coming back with a long hiatus was a good thing!****

 ** **gregorian12: What happened with Norman? What ink blob? What toy? If I missed some things, I'll try and go back and add them in when I fix the older chapters.****

 ** **snake screamer: Doubt it. She never even knew about the fusion.****

 ** **Guest: Same here. Honestly, this was the first time I've really jumped watching a YouTube video. That jumpscare was horrifying!****

 ** **StoriesUnleashed: Is it Sillyvision? It doesn't seem so anymore. Now it's Joey Drew Studios, according to the sign in the toy factory.****

 ** **snake screamer (again): I will, once I stop freaking out over other stories and midterms.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: :D****

 ** **HadoFoxGodAsashi: I apologize for the short chapter length. Bending Reality is a short story at best. I never planned for huge chapters. Plus, one could fit the entire chapter 1 and 2 of the game into a single chapter. I didn't want the story being so short and over so quickly. So I decided to break it up into pieces. After looking at chapter 3 though, I saw I had a much better chance of extending them. Ignoring the length, I'm glad you're enjoying the story.****

 ** **TazmaniaLizard: Patience is indeed a virtue.****

 ** **snake screamer (again): Done!****

 ** **MrR2M: Thank you!****

 ** **Aqua Lilly: Thank you!****

 ** **redvintage888: I know, but I refuse to have hiatuses that long.****

 ** **Stacked Waters: I just had to throw in Jack!****

 ** **fandomenforcer: They do. I ordered a shirt online from their store. As for Jack, I already knew. His name was in the credits for chapter 3 along with DAGames. He did a video tape too.****

 ** **MagicMakerRose: Most people like her humor. Hope she can maintain her sanity the further she goes though…****

 ** **Like I said earlier, I did indeed go back and fix up the old chapters. Thomas had been added with the inky room, along with a few other minor things. As I work on other chapters, I'll go back and edit chapter 1 (game wise) a lot. Things are certainly different now after it was updated. Chapter 2 remains mostly the same, so no need to worry about that.****

 ** **I own Kate!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: May 17/18**

* * *

"Ow, my head. What is it with me and getting knocked out?" Pulling myself up off the floor, I stumbled back in alarm as I saw the shattered glass of where Alice attacked me. That… was no doubt even more terrifying than Bendy. Oh, I was gonna have nightmares for weeks now! "I better get moving. Now!" I bolted down a hallway beside me, choosing wisely not to look back. Lights flickering behind me as they kicked back on, but I ignored them in turn to focus on the cartoon's words. "What did she mean, walk with angels…?"

" ** **The demon. The angel.**** " The path split, with devil horns on the O in demon and a few ink splatters around the arrow, and a halo over the G in angel. "She said walk with angels." Did I want to go down the crazy demon-angel hybrid path, or the inky demon who I knew for a fact had been stalking me since I'd stepped foot in the studio? "Whatever. I'm taking the angel route." Throwing my hands into the air, I walked to the right and passed the Alice Angel poster. _Best not to make an enemy with her right now._ An echoing slam came from behind me, and I paused mid-step.

"What was that?" Backing up, I leaned around the corner to see that the demon path was gated off. "Huh. Guess that answers my question." Heading back into the room, I looked around. A comfy couch held a small candle, an Alice plush, and a tape recorder. There was also several storage containers in here, along with an Alice cutout. "Wonder what she has to say." I'm only guessing that whoever was on the recording must've been Alice's voice actor.

" ** **Everything feels like it's coming apart!**** " She bawled. " ** **When I walked into the recording booth this morning, Sammy was there with that… Alison.**** " The name came out like a growl, and I leaned back from the machine instinctively. She didn't like this Alison, whoever she was. " ** **Apparently, I didn't get the memo. Alice Angel will now be voiced by Miss Alison Pendle. A part of me died**** ** **when he told me that. There's gotta be a way to fix this!**** "

She sounded angry, and absolutely heartbroken. Not surprising, though. I'd be overwhelmed with sorrow to if someone replaced me without informing me first. Continuing through another door, and heading further into the floor, I allowed my thoughts to wander. So what had I learned so far? I knew that the workers at the studio were either insane (Sammy), guilt-ridden (Alice's voice actress), or wanting to get away as fast as they can (my dad). I still didn't know what happened to the other workers, but I prayed they didn't turn into what Sammy had become. Ink monsters.

"What was her name again?" I tapped my chin, moving through the steam coming up through the vents in the floor. "Dad mentioned her a few times… Susan, or Sally… Susie!" That was it. Susie was her name. Dad spoke of her more often when mom wasn't around. I could tell this was because he used to fancy her when he was first starting out as an animator. _Then again, he was around my age when he first started out here._ Opening the door at the end, I continued walking.

Then there was Bendy's weird obsession with me. Either he wanted to make me suffer for as long as he could, or is amazed a girl my age walked in here. Still, I didn't know why he gave me that rag to help clean my arm. I didn't think it was anything further than that. __I really hope that he's just a demonic possessed cartoon, and not an incubus.__ Oh, that idea made me disturbed on so many levels.

"NOT AGAIN!" A Bendy standee poked its head around the corner at the end of the hall, and I stormed after it. "Bendy-! Boris!?" The wolf grinned at me, and I felt the sudden urge to whack him upside the head. The cutout laid against the wall casually, and its grin… seemed like it was taunting me again. "You freaking gave me a heart attack!" Taking a long and slow breath, I calmed myself before narrowing my eyes. "Don't suppose you've got anything I can use to defend ourselves, do you?"

Boris nodded, and held out a pipe he was carrying. "That will work." It was more awkward than the ax, but it had enough heft to it to cause some damage. "Let's move." Opening the door behind him, I stepped into an ink covered room filled with more plushies and Bendy clocks. The ticking bounced around the walls, making me twitch. "Ick."

Nothing to do in there, except this. "Punching in, do do do. No clue why I'm doing this, but why not?" I gave one last look at the three huge Boris stuffed animals, and followed after the wolf. __Maybe once I find a way out of here, I'll bring one of those with me. Looks comfy.__ "Two levers." I stopped in front of the box, with wires leading over to where Boris was. The wolf stood in front of a stone Bendy statue, watching me patiently. "I'll go get the second switch."

 _The rest of the wires led around the corner of the hall, so that's where I'll go._ I did see the wires continued to the left of the bend, but I decided to stop to check out the hallway on the right. "Hmm?"

" **Alright, let's go over this again. If the pressure goes over 45, I screw the safety bolt in tighter, right?** "

" **No! For the last time, you do that, you'll blow every pipe in this place! If it reaches 45, you unhook the safety switch.** "

" **You sure? You know, this sounds harder than comparing ear wax to bee's wax!** "

" **Look, it's not that difficult! Just keep an eye on the gauge!** "

" **Look pal. If you think I'm doing my job AND yours, I'm outta here!** "

Well, that was new. It was clear the first voice was Wally, and while I didn't know his name, the other guy was from the recording after my fall from being scared by Bendy on the first floor. By the sound of it, they were both maintenance workers. Keeping account for the pipes, and the inner workings of the studio. Why else would they discuss pipes?

"No matter. Just store that in the back of your mind. Might be of use later." The hall didn't have much to offer. More containers, barrels, and garbage baskets, ink all over the floor in a puddle. Though, when I turned to the right after stepping out of the ink, and turned to the left, I wasn't that shocked to see the ink machine again. "There it goes." I moved to the fence covered wall, watching it descend deeper into the studio. First it was before I encountered Bendy, and now there too? _This means I'm even further below the studio. Where did Boris bring me?_

I could keep going and see what else the hallway held, but I wanted to open that door. I didn't want to keep Boris waiting any longer. Backtracking down the hall, and finally making the bend, I slowed my walk. " ** **The Butcher Gang.**** " Who were these? Were they like, the Pete to Mickey Mouse? I crept closer, only for a screaming ink monster to burst through the poster, head stretched out as to almost bite my own head off.

"AAAHHHH!" Jumping back in alarm, I hugged the pipe to my chest. The monster fell out of the tunnel it was hiding in, onto its face before limping towards me and why on earth does IT have a WEAPON!? "DIE YOU SUCKA! DIE!" I brought down the pipe repeatedly on its head, dodging its sloppy swings. It reminded me of some twisted monkey, with a hole for its right eye, a large, hanging jaw with small yet sharp teeth, and drooping arms. Its left eye was an X. Just an X. _The cartoon symbol for death._ With a final blow, it collapsed to the ground. The ink shook, and burst apart, covering the ground where I stood.

"That was… what was ****that****?" That wasn't one of those ink monsters from before. That was… something else. "The switch!" I pulled down the lever, and ran back to Boris. Boris frowned, noticing how frazzled I was. Tilting his head, he walked closer to me and rested a hand on my shoulder. Flinching, I looked up at him, and he smiled calmly.

He still didn't say anything. I was now pretty sure he couldn't like Alice and Bendy. But what he didn't say… spoke more than anything he could have said. __Did that make sense? Maybe not.__ Smiling back at him, I sniffed, and the cartoon brought me into a quick, but well-meaning hug. "Thanks, Boris." Letting go, he patted my head and took off down the newly opened path.

"Thank you," I whispered, and ran after him. The wolf's legs were much longer than mine, so he was already past the walls of gears and machinery into a large room with wooden paths going all over the place. "Level K? Ho-how big is this place!?" Passing the washrooms on the side, and not trusting them to be any way decent, I descended the stairs to the main floor.

"Boris, where are you going?" Boris stopped in front of a weird machine in the corner, and I stared at it in surprise. "An elevator? After all I've been through, I discover one now?" Where was it when I fell down that hole in the beginning? "Ladies first." Stepping in, I backed away from the door as Boris followed suit. The gated door closed, and I felt ourselves begin to lower.

"You're so interesting… so different." Alice's voice cooed from the speakers in the elevator, and I inched closer to Boris in reflex. I was capable of taking care of myself, but Boris provided what little comfort I could salvage in this horror house. "I have to say, I'm an instant fan. Looks like you've got a date with an angel!"

Uh, no thank you. Sorry, but I prefered my people less… murdery.

"Come to me now. Level 9. Just follow the screams." What screams!? I looked up at Boris, but the wolf's face was expressionless. __Does he know something?__ The elevator came to a halt, and the door opened. "Come on, step out of your cage."

Now this level was… yikes, it was something else. Massive pipes ran above our heads, and ink splattered the walls ****everywhere****. "There's a whole twisted world out here," she giggled darkly. Walking down the stairs, I swallowed painfully at what I saw at the end. A huge Alice head above a mechanical door, with two gloved hands holding a sign. " ** **She's quite a gal!**** " Well, you got that right!

A garbage can with a flip lid sat on one side of the door, and a weird capsule on the other. The lights built into the floor lit up the entrance, and I stood beside Boris nervously. A river of ink flowed under a walkway that led to the large set of stairs, with a mechanical gate system built into it. "She's… not gonna hurt me, is she?" I asked. Boris still remained silent, but gave a small shake. "No? That's… good." I didn't sound so sure.

The door cranked on the other end, and it slowly opened. Once the gap got big enough, Boris ran through the two doors and into the hall. "Wh-hey! Boris!" Where's he going? Sprinting after the cartoon, I turned a corner where an Alice standee stood… and froze.

"Good lord." A single spotlight from above shone down on Boris. ****Dead. Boris.**** But-but he was alive! With me… oh no.

Th-there were about a dozen of them. Almost all Boris, but with a few of the monsters resembling the one I fought earlier. Those ones had their arms stretched out, strapped down in a cross form. Chests ripped open with their insides missing, and dried ink around their fur and clothes. They… they bled to death. N-no. They were murdered. All of them. They-they were still mounted to the boards, and put up like some kind of sick display!

"B-Boris?" I looked at Boris, but stepped back. He glared at the copy, either upset or angry I couldn't tell, but he was mad. "What is all this?" My voice seemed to crack at the end, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. Boris had sensed my building panic. "Wh-what happened here?"

He pointed ahead of me, and I looked at a sketchy boardwalk stretching across the inky lake, barrels and crates supported it from underneath with a couch and giant Alice head floating beside it. __Alright then. Let's… go.__ I stepped out onto the walkway, and began moving towards the door slowly, looking at the Boris' and other monsters beside me. "Look around. It took so many of them to make me so beautiful." _Wait, THEM!?_ "Anything less than perfect was left behind." _Y-_ _y_ _ou sacrificed BORIS!?_ "I had to do it. She made me."

She made it sound like it wasn't a big deal! What 'she'? Who made you do this!? Think, Kate! The only females were Alice and Susie. So, did one of them manipulate the other into killing? This didn't make any sense!

"Th-the path's split." Another board went over to a desk in the corner on a platform, and a tape cassette laid on the top. An Alice doll sat next to it, which could only mean Susie must have done it. "Could this have the answer?"

" ** **Who would have thought? Me having lunch with Joey Drew! Apparently times are tougher than I thought. For a moment there, I thought I'd be stuck with the check. But I gotta say, he wasn't at all what I expected. Quite the charmer. He even called me Alice. I liked it.**** "

Joey… Drew. Hehe. Heh. Ha ha ha ha ha! Oh course that crazed madman was behind this! He made Bendy, and-and Susie was close to obsessed with her character. So… no. N-no. He w-wouldn't have, would he? D-did Joey… change Susie into Alice Angel?

"Oh my lord, what is happening here?" Creeping into an open door on the other side, I made my way through the hall, glaring at the Alice poster and standee in the corner. Sticking my tongue out at it, I snapped it back in when I heard screeching. Loud, ragged, screeching. My head spun to look down the hall, and I saw… oh, sweet honey mustard.

Sprinting down into the room, I slid to a halt in horror. One of the monsters was mounted to a table upright, and was being furiously electrocuted by Alice behind a control panel. The demon-angel hybrid smirked sadistically, and looked ahead of her. She knew I was there though. She knew I had come in.

"Hmm. Now we come to the question…" _what question?_ I paled, inching back cautiously. "Do I kill you? Do I tear you apart to my heart's delight? The choices of the beautiful are unbearable." Did ANY of what you're saying make sense, weird Alice-Susie mutant? "How's a girl to choose? Hehehe. Take this little freak for instance!" She turned to look at the lesser monster, hissing at it. "He crawled in here… trailing his tainted ink to my door! It could have touched me! It could have pulled me back!"

What… was that? Her voice… ****changed**** , for a moment. "Do you know what it's like? Living in the dark puddles." Her voice was slow, threatening. "It's a buzzing, screaming well of voices! Bits of your mind, swimming… like… like fish in a bowl!" _Well, she's certainly not sane._ "The first time I was born from its' ink womb, I was wiggling, pussing, shapeless slug."

First time. When Joey tried to turn her into Alice the first time, it… didn't work correctly? Glancing behind me, I saw the door was locked behind me. __No available escape options. This could go south very quickly.__ "The second time… well… it made me an angel!" Describing it the first time, she sounded angry and frightened. Like a scared child. But the bit describing her second transformation… she sounded content, even finishing with a girlish sigh. Her personality was split, between normal Susie and… whatever she was now with Alice. Gulping, I tightened my grip on my weapon. If she was about to take me out, I wasn't going without a fight.

"I will ****not**** let the demon touch me again." Wh-demon? Did she mean Bendy, or Joey? "I'm so close now. So… almost perfect." _Honey, you look nowhere near perfect!_ "Yes, I will spare you, my child." Alice finally turned to look at me, and my stomach flipped. That-that's good. Not dying yet. But I was really not liking that look she's giving me. "For now. Better yet… I'll even let you ascend and leave this place. If you do a few eensey weensey little favors for me first."

"F-favors?" I squeaked. Alice seemed a little surprised I actually spoke. Was she expecting me to remain quiet the entire time? I at least said something when I was captured by Sammy.

Chuckling, she nodded mockingly. "Return to the lift my little errand girl. We have work to do!" Nodding, I heard the door open behind me, and metal shades dropped down to cover the window. The screeching continued, no doubt the monster being electrocuted again. Making my way back out of he hall, I avoided looking back until I finally was back in the corpse room, letting my mind run over all of the new information.

Boris' dead around me, gutted for Alice's use. Torturing the monsters. The speculation of Susie being changed into Alice Angel by Joey Drew. The real question though was… why? Why would he have done that? Then, when I really thought about it, the fact Susie and Alice were fused made me wonder about the state of one Ink Demon. If Alice was one of the old workers of the studio, would that make Bendy fall into the same category? Would the monster chasing after me… be one of the workers? A-and possibly… what if the person who seemed so intent on chasing after me… was also the person who wanted my dad brought back there in the first place? This may have just been speculation on my part, but did that mean… that what I thought was Bendy chasing me around all day was… Joey!?

* * *

 ** **Oh, Kate is so confused. But let's hope she can understand what she's getting into with the many jobs of Taskmaster Alice.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	10. A Wild Bendy Appears!

****Disclaimer: How is it that such a small story is getting so much attention? Seriously!?****

 ** **So I've been fooling around on YouTube, and I've come across those Wandering is a Terrible Sin Bendy's. I know I can't hack in a story, but what do you guys think about Kate stumbling across one by accident? Let's be real, that thing is creepy as heck.****

 ** **StoriesUnleashed: I figured Boris needed some more important role in this story. He didn't do so much during chapter 3. Plus, he's adorable.****

 ** **Galacter: Thanks. I went back and fixed the mistake.****

 ** **TazmaniaLizard: I don't know if it's real or not. Kate was making speculations. The adrenaline is making her mind all… buzzy. As for finding Henry's tape… just have to wait and see. ;)****

 ** **MrR3M: Thanks!****

 ** **iron maker2: I know. I've watched all of the secrets on YouTube.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: I will! Thanks for the review!****

 ** **I own Kate.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: May 19/18**

* * *

Errands. The psycho hybrid wanted me for errands. Heck, they probably weren't even that important to begin with.

It was hard, pushing my theory about Joey and Bendy to the back of my mind, but I had more to focus on right now. I didn't know if it was true or not, so it was best not to think about it. _But still! The entire concept that ju-just popped into my head is terrifying!_

Making my way back outside of her inner sanctum, the metal gate I observed earlier fell down with a clang, blocking me from moving any further. __She cut me off.__ The door closed behind me, and I backed away to look up at the large Alice head. "I'll make this simple. Look for valve panels. Turn the little wheels. Then bring me their power cores," Alice instructed over the PA. __Why is she talking to me like I'm five?__ "Please don't make me regret sparing you, child. I can always change my mind."

"Yes, ma'am," I responded. Looking at the capsule beside me, I saw Alice had sent up a plunger. Why this? How did a plunger help turn wheels? Wouldn't a-a wrench, or another tool be more useful? __Whatever. Best not to complain.__ I laid the pipe down, and picked the new weapon. "Toilets don't stand a chance against me." Time to go to work.

"There are so few rules to our world now. So little truths." Alice/Susie's voice flowed through the room as I made my way upstairs. "But there is one rule we all know and respect down here." __Rule?__ I opened a door to the left of the elevator, and froze as Alice's next words sunk in.

"Beware the Ink Demon."

"… crud."

"Stay out in the open for too long and he will find you. For if you see him, you'd better hide."

"Double crud!" I whacked the plunger against the wall in frustration.

"If you don't, well, I enjoyed our date." So if I lived or died, she didn't really care. Perfect! "Now, let us begin our work." Moving through into the next room, I began ascending the staircase beside me. __Life sucks. Why did dad have to be an animator? Why couldn't he work as a mattress salesman or-aw, heck no!__ I jumped back as an ink monster, one of the blobs like I saw in the music department, lunged at me.

"They've gotten faster!?" I shrieked, banging it across the head until it broke apart. "How is THAT fair!?" Next floor! Running up to the next landing, I blinked at the couch with a Boris plush on a table. "... you're coming with me!"

With the toy tucked inside my vest pocket, I continued upwards, killing another monster along the way. "Split path. Up the stairs, or down the inky hallway?" I walked forward. "Or down the other path behind the stairs?" That choice seemed more promising.

The door creaked open, and I frowned at the messages written on the wall. " ** **I don't want to work here anymore.**** " Sounded like something Wally would write. " ** **He will set us free**** " was just farther down the hall, making me sidestep into the room away so my line of sight was anywhere but there. There were now… not so savory memories associated with that line. _Thank you, Sammy._ "So, floor P." I chimed in on the punch machine, and looked at the elevator shaft behind me. "Guess I've got no choice but to head further in."

I walked towards where the other writing was, but I stopped in the middle of the room. "Was there… something in there?" My head turned to the right, and I jumped back in alarm. Another one of those beasts like the one Alice was torturing was laid out on a table in the room, most likely left from fried death. "Yeesh!" Grimacing, I walked down the hall again, snapping a monster's head backwards with a well-aimed blow. "Is it a bad thing I'm getting so good at this?"

Right turn and open the door… _it's gone. Monster's gone. Where'd it_ _g-I-I'm not gonna bother asking._ I shuffled over to the table, and waved the plunger over it. "It's not invisible," I noted. "So… where is it?" It couldn't have gotten out of here so easily. The windows were cracked, but they weren't shattered.

"… next room!" Ain't staying in there! _I had enough vanishing with Bendy. I do not need more of that._ Running to the room on the far left, I opened the door only to have another blob lunge at me. "Whoa!" Its claws managed to rip at my vest, placing four long skinny holes on the left side. "This was my good vest!" Death befell the beast not long after that, as it should, and I continued wandering around. _I am going to leave this place a mess. Physically, and… and mentally._

"Now, am I just gonna keep walking around aimlessly, or am I finally gonna run into-the pipes!" Yes! Finally! Running over to the three valves, I put the plunger under my arm and began adjusting the ink level of each one. The hatch beside them popped open the moment each of the black markings were reached, letting me take the battery from inside. "One down. However many left to go. I wonder if I can bring up the elevator too."

It would save so much time instead of taking the stairs. "Boop!" Pressing the button, I watched the large machine slowly move up through the building. Once it reached me, the gate opened, and Boris smiled at meas he waited patiently inside. "Boris!" Running in, I gave the cartoon a hug. "There you are! I was so worried that something took you!" I let go, and put my hands on my hips. "You know, it would've been a good thing to let me know about Alice!"

Boris frowned, and gave me a puppy eyed look. If he could make noise, I'm sure he'd be whining too. __He looks so adorable!__ _ _H-how can I be mad at that?__ "I'm sorry, Boris," I sighed, letting my arms relax despite keeping the items juggled in them. "It's just… I'm under a lot of stress right now," He nodded in understanding, and I reached behind me to press the button to take me to the next floor, and we began moving again. "Boris? Is… Bendy a good person?"

Boris seemed almost conflicted with my answer, so I shrugged it off. "It's alright. I'm sure I'll get the answer eventually." The machine came to a halt, and I stepped out as the door closed behind me. "I'll be safe, Boris. Just… don't get killed." Boris nodded, and I began moving forward with purpose.

Level 11. I patted the toy Boris' head, and looked around, and whacked another ink monster's head off. Opening the door to the right, I turned down a blocked hall to find a radio beside an old bass drum and a row of cellos. "Wonder what song this plays." I clicked play, letting the music flow through the small space and let out a small laugh. "What a random encounter." Those radios were definitely something fun to enjoy, even with their strange locations.

I climbed the stairs behind me, and was about to make another turn until I heard growling behind me. "What the-AH!" Some deformed ink monster, like the one Alice was torturing had crept up behind me. It must have been another Butcher Gang member. It had to have been. Those three specific monsters all were themed around the poster I found earlier when I was heading towards Alice's sanctum. It had some weird mechanical arm along with several other arms, and a mouth on the top of its head, snapping open and close at a fast pace. I wasn't certain if I was right on the first creature's species, but it would have been wise to just give up on guessing. It kept firing forward with its mechanical appendage, trying to knock me out. "Aahhh!" It took four hits for it to finally go down, and many dodges to avoid being struck down. Panting, I glanced up the stairs before shaking my head. "You know, I think I'm gonna explore downstairs some more. Not like I'm scared or anything."

I wasn't. Nope, not one bit…

Heading back through the door. I moved to the end of the hall and found a Bendy standee beside a small river of ink. "Yes! More valves!" With the plunger under my arm, I cranked the wheels until the flow was equal again, and grabbed the part from the box. "Two more. Oh, I hope she doesn't have many errands for me to do."

At least the ink only went to my knees and not my waist. Wadding through down the hall, I almost turned the corner until a bright flash had me scrambling behind two barrels. It was… tall and inky. Like Sammy was, but it had no head. It's entire top was a flickering projector, with large black cables feeding from its head and into its back. Crawling back onto the dry floorboards, I crept to the window and peered nervously at it. It moved out of my field of vision as it continued through the room, until it was finally out of my line of sight. "Ain't going after that thing. Nope!"

The… projectionist. The thing deserved some title. "Making my way downtown, walking fast." I marched back to the elevator, and hit the K button. "Probably gonna walk faster," I mused.

"Have you met him?" Alice spoke, the first time since I had left her area. "The Ink Demon? They say he hears everything." Not surprising. If it was him, he would've heard… all of my comments to the standees. So, if he DID give me the rag... why? "Every creak of the floor. Every rustle of paper." "Whoa!" I launched the plunger at the Butcher Gang monster, it's head dangling from a pole jutting out from its body. "I wouldn't run so fast if I were you. You never know what will draw him in."

I didn't like this. I don't like this at ALL. Making my path up the stairs, I smirked as I ended up knocking the ink blob off the balcony, making it explode as it hit the floor. "This is where I started," I realized. "Wasn't there a pipe system where the giant Boris dolls were?"

There was. Three down now, as I picked the power core out of its hold in the wall panel. "Where else could the last one be?" I asked, sticking it into my pocket. The pluses of my artistic weirdness was that my pants and vest pockets were huge. Although, I did have to juggle a few things before it finally stuck out in my head to store them away. Standing beside Boris again, I glared ahead of me, arms crossed. _I am going to get so bored doing this, aren't I?_ Back to level 9 and up the stairs to the side, I groaned loudly.

"I feel like this gonna get stupidly repetitive," I mumbled. "I'll have so many useless jobs to do for no particular reason, and it's gonna involve so much backtracking I'm gonna lose my freakin' mind! Screw it!" I bashed the plunger down much harder on an ink blob, venting my frustrations. "I hate this!"

I kept climbing, and I was half-certain if I was a cartoon steam would be coming out my ears and my face would be beet red. _Wait. Is that…!?_ "Ha ha! Yes! Finally!" Last valve found! Mission accomplished!

"You're quite the efficient little errand girl, aren't you?" Alice commented. "Despite that… attitude of yours." So, she was listening in on me. How… much though? What did she pay attention to? __I… I don't think I wanna know.__ Exiting at level 11, I hit the button of the elevator.

"There was a time people knew my name," Alice lamented as Boris and I headed back to level 9. "'It's Alice Angel'! They'd say. Feels like so long ago. But those days can come back. Dreams come true, Susie," she whispered to herself, forgetting that we were listening. "Dreams come true."

"Alice and Susie really are the same person." Boris nodded sadly, and put his hand on my shoulder. "Boris… what happened to this place? Dad… Henry… he used to love working here. How could everything, all of this, have fallen so low?" He shook his head, and how I wished the wolf was capable of speech now more than ever. As the elevator stopped, I walked out quietly and up to Alice's door. Holding out the four power cores, I deposited them into the chute on the right, and tossed the plunger in afterwards.

"My machine's are hungry. Gather me some spare parts!" Alice barked. _Gee, lady, couldn't you say please at least?_ Holding back my tongue, I took the wrench from the capsule and stormed down the stairs. __Spare parts… spare parts… would gears work?__ Let's find some of those. She told me to stop after I found four batteries, so four gears should be enough.

"I wonder… how much weight is in this." It had more heft than my pipe from earlier, and the plunger too. As I climbed the stairs again at the opposite side of the room, I stopped and grinned. "Uh-wah!" With one hand, I brought the weapon back and smashed it as hard as I could, leaving a large dent in the old wood. "Hehe. Hehehehe! Perfect!"

"Ha ha ha! Eat this, you ink monsters!" I gleefully killed two of them back where I found the 'no longer working here' message, speed-walking up the stairs with renewed vigor. "Your mother was a ballpoint pen!" Opening the compartment above my head on the wall, I frowned briefly. "Empty. Hmm… I think there was another box in the room on the left."

My luck must've been improving, as I happily took the gear out from the box and tucked it away. "One down." Heading out of the room, I almost jumped in excitement as I took another one out of a box heading back up the stairs. "Let's see if I missed anything in the projectionist room." With the monster missing, it was safe now to enter. Wading back through the inky river after getting on the right level, I poked around in the area. "Nothing. Huh?" I looked through the window, and saw on one of the barrels in the ink an audio machine. "I missed one?" Moving back out of the room, I moved to the barrel and hit play. I was ready to listen to either a depressed worker, or another rant. What happened next… I was in no way prepared for.

The walls started crawling with ink, and the entire area began to plunge into darkness with speed I couldn't even begin to comprehend. __Bendy… he's found me.__ Sprinting into the room, I threw myself into a box in the corner, shutting the door as fast as I could. I had seen those containers scattered about, with small slotted holes to peek out of. Now, as I was hiding inside it, I could clearly see why there was so many. Breathing heavily, I bent into a ball, leaning as far away as I could from the peep hole.

 _ _Don't find me. Don't find me. I've had no reason to anger you. I don't even belong here. Don't find me. Don't find me. DON'T FIND ME!__ The ink trails seeped into the room, trailing along the outside of the box and partially clouding the view of the outside, and I whimpered as a tall black shape entered, only feet from my hiding spot. "Please… leave me alone."

The inky veins slowly began to increase as he stood directly in front of me. He was much taller than Boris and Alice. Several inches at least, including the horns. Ink rained down from the ceiling, accompanying his arrival. His arms dangled loosely at his side, and he looked around for wherever I could've gone. Turning his head, Bendy seemed to continue forward and headed towards the wall ahead of me.

However, just before he even reached the wall, he drifted closer to my location. Sliding further down in my feet, I slapped my inky covered hands over my mouth to smother my breathing. Eyes wide in horror, Bendy's breathing drew nearer until his was mere inches from me, and a hand that lacked the glove trailed along the box's door. The sound of long black claws scratched the wood, leaving gashes on it. With a growl, the demon backed away from the container, and headed towards the wall once again.

A large ink trail gathered in front of him as he got closer, collecting from the tendrils around the room, and he walked right through it. He… he traveled through the ink. Lights slowly increased, and the ink spot melted into the wall as if it was never there. As if HE was never there, and neither was the ink.

"He's… is he gone?" Voice barely above a whisper, I sat up slowly and looked out. Fingers curled around the bottom edge as I sat on my knees on the seat, peering around on all sides. _He's… he's gone._ Sighing, I let myself practically melt against the wooden box's side. My heart still beat like a drum, trying to steady from the nightmare that had just come my way. __Phew… that's… that was terri-__

*CREAK*

I froze as the door flung open without warning, and I shrieked in terror as I threw myself backwards, whacking my head on the frame of the box. Bendy glared at me, and put his hands on his hips-wait, WHAT!?

 _ _Th-__ _ _th__ _ _is wasn't the Bendy I just saw! He's... he looks-!__ Normal... e-exactly like his cutouts. Short, clad in a white bow tie, white gloves, black shoes, and with his head drifting an inch off his body. "Y'know, kid," Bendy started, voice laced with annoyance. "You ****really**** should be playing this game of yours by the book." He leered, making me shrink back even further. "Hell knows what would happen if you strayed any further."

* * *

 ** **And from here, we begin to stray from the normal flow of the story!****

 ** **Things will only get more interesting from here on out. This… is gonna be good.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	11. The Ink Demon

****Disclaimer: How on earth is this thing at 100 followers! It's almost got stats to rival my biggest story!****

 ** **This was so hard to try and write. I've got one midterm done with, and two more this week to prep for. Anyone wanna do chemistry for me? Any takers?****

 ** **RainbowCelin: I knew about the Joey tape, but Alice had wanted Kate to go down the angel path for a reason.****

 ** **songlover124: Me too!****

 ** **R4v3n Wy7ch: Not gonna answer that quite yet. Definitely not the Wandering Sin Bendy. But those cutouts might make an appearance down the road. This guy is exactly like the normal cutouts. Who this Bendy is… well, the thing you need to know is****

 ** **TazmaniaLizard: Let's hope she doesn't hear everything.****

 ** **Aqua Lilly: Allies, maybe? Romance? Ew, no. I'm okay with partnering up an OC with a pun loving skeleton (done that a few times), but not with a creepy inky demon.****

 ** **ultima-owner: Thanks!****

 ** **PiperDreamer: SAVE THE BORIS!****

 ** **Mizu-FoxSoldierOfWaterAndIce: Who ever said he could do that? What makes you say that this new Bendy was the same one from earlier?****

 ** **MrR3M: I will!****

 ** **Neo KizuNii: Thanks!****

 ** **DomesticatedPiggy: Big plot twist!****

 ** **gregorian12: It wasn't until Meatly revealed their names.****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: I shall!****

 ** **redvintage888: We're straying some from the main story, but it's generally the same. I think you'll like how this plays out.****

 ** **I own Kate.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: May 19/18**

* * *

Bendy… was s-standing right in front of me. Bendy. The Ink Demon himself was leering at me, and my heartbeat spiked alarmingly. H-hey, after almost getting a close encounter with tall, dark, and inky, that was to be expected! "B-Bendy…!?" I squeaked. The short cartoon nodded firmly, his perma-grin stretching even further. "… NOPE!" I brought myself up, grabbed the door's edge, and slammed it shut in his face.

The door immediately flung open again, and the gloved hands reached in and grabbed my shirt collar. "Not so fast, kiddo." With a surprisingly strong yank, I was dragged out of the hideout and onto my knees. Bendy still held on tightly, his black eyes glinted maliciously. "You don't wanna go runnin' into ****him**** again, do ya?" Mouth closed, I quickly shook my head. I wasn't trusting myself with words, fearing I'd say something I'd regret to the unstable toon. "Good girl. Now! Are ya gonna listen, or do I have to take drastic measures?" __What do you mean drastic measures!?__ I didn't want to know, or find out. Nodding slowly, Bendy dropped me, and I supported myself with my hands on the floor, breathing deeply with shaky breathes.

"Who… are you?" I panted, rubbing my throat. "I-I thought that thing earlier was-"

"Me? Why would I lower myself to that mistake's level?" Bendy asked, visibly insulted as he crossed his arms. "I definitely got more brains than he has. Not to mention, better lookin' too." Bendy fixed his tie, and I rose a brow. Mood swing, much? "Y'know, this is usually the time where you'd introduce yourself."

"K-Kate. K-Kate B-Bowens," I stuttered. "But… I'm certain you already knew my last name. You were the one… watching me, weren't you? Not that beast that keeps attacking me." Bendy nodded, and patted my head mockingly.

"Got it in one, pal. You must've figured it out for a while though. After all, you keep on talking to the cutouts and cartoons." _STALKER!_ "Besides, you've seemed to enjoy talking to me to keep yourself from losing your little mind even further!"

"I didn't think anyone else was in here with me." I finally managed a sentence without stammering. "Then this means you did give me that rag for my arm when I got hurt." I looked to my arm, seeing the cloth poke out from under my shirt sleeve. "Why? Why are you looking after me? Gonna use me in another one of this studio's sadistic occult rituals, like the others did?"

Whoops.

I'd said something I was gonna regret.

Ink dribbled down Bendy's forehead, masking his eyes. __He's ticked.__ "Get this through your thick head, human. I am ****NOT**** aligned with those workers. I don't go around killing people without a reason and I am definitely no ink god. I ain't working for anyone but ****me****. Just because I'm a devil, don't automatically make me evil. ****GOT IT?**** " Bendy crouched down, and we were roughly eye to eye. My scared brown to his clouded black. "You must've already seen what happened to Susie and Sammy, right? I hate what the creators have done to us, and ****obviously**** , they need to pay. But I had no role in turning them into that. That," he chuckled darkly, "was someone… and something… much more twisted than I am."

"And… Joey?" I hesitantly asked. Bendy wiped the excess ink from his face, and looked away.

"Kid, I'm gonna spare you the nightmares for now. You don't wanna know about Joey… not yet, anyway." Sighing, he turned back to me. "Same with the dame. It'd be better if you don't know how she ended up like that. She's got way too many issues, and between you and me, she isn't too fond of me."

"Okay." We stared at each other, and I was waiting for him to say something else. "Bendy? Why are you… what ****are**** you? If you're not that guy from earlier, then are you like Boris?"

"You can say that," he shrugged. "Get up, kid." He took my hand, and pitifully tried pulling me to my feet. He's… so small. Like, a little over half my height. "Time to get goin' again."

"You want me to help her with those random errands?" I stood up, and picked up my wrench. "Why?"

"You wanna get yourself killed already?" Bendy asked disbelievingly. "Uh…" "Didn't think so. C'mon." We walked out of the room, and stood at the edge of the inky river. "What are you waitin' for? Jump in!"

"H… how do I know you're not gonna kill me?" I glanced down at him warily, the words spilling out of my mouth before I could think. Bendy frowned, and slapped a hand to his head with a loud sigh. _I did it again, didn't I?_

"You really are dense, aren't you? Girly, let me make this as clear as your little mind can grasp. If I had wanted you dead… ****I would have done you in the moment you came through that front door****." Good lord, he pulled a Sans. "You aren't playing how I thought you would." Bendy's voice returned to normal, instead of the lower voice that the other Bendy used. Garbled, filled with ink, and showed how mad and insane he could be at any moment. I was dealing with something evil, that like he said, could kill me at any time. Just because he was smaller, didn't mean this Bendy wasn't as much as a threat as the other one. "You're trying to keep yourself happy, but it's easy to see you're just a scared, weak, little kid. Even though you've avoided death and major injury, that doesn't mean you weren't avoid it forever." He patted my knee, smirking. "You need my help. Unless you want to be wandering around here lost for the rest of your possibly short life, winding down Angel's patience until she finally snaps and kills you herself, then shut up and let me follow you. If I were you, I wouldn't expect her to be keepin' her promise."

 _ _Well… oh, he's right.__ I was terrified out of my mind. Who knew how much longer my luck would run. Alice could easily go back at any time, and the more help I had with me, the better. "No use arguing any more, is there? Fine, Bendy. Let's go get those final two gears."

I trudged through the ink, and kept myself from checking back at the li'l devil. He can tag along all he wanted, but I ain't looking at him or acknowledging his presence. And I most certainly did NOT want to take the elevator. Boris didn't need to see Bendy, and I doubt Bendy wanted to see him either. __To the stairs.__ Finally exiting out on level K, I quickly batted in one of the puncher's heads. "You know, you COULD help me with this?" I glared at Bendy, who had just walked into the room.

"I could, but you're already having so much fun!" Oh, how I wish I could wipe that smug look off his face. "Ink ****really**** suits you, kiddo. Then again, I'm only assuming you took after your father and became an artist."

"It's Kate," I huffed. "And so what if I became a sketch artist? I can appreciate a work of art when I see it." __Like when I was younger, and listened to dad's stories of you and Boris' cartoons.__ Walking up the stairs, I headed back to the toy storage room and found my third gear. "Why can't you just call me my name? The thing I was born with?"

"Because your traitor of a father gave it to you, and I don't want anything more to do with him. Henry was one of the better workers, but he still left. He could have done something. He… he could have done ****something**** , to stop Joey from all of this." I frowned softly, and stopped in the hall further down for the final piece. He sounded so… broken, just then. Hurt, and… betrayed?

"I'm gonna find this all out sooner or later. Uh, you might wanna hide for this part." Bendy raised an… does he even have eyebrows? Whatever. He backed into the wall, and soon an inky stain was all that remained of him. __Okay?__ "Alice, I have all four cogs!"

"Ah, that should be plenty. Return them to me. And try not to die on the way back," Alice warned.

"I'll try not to." Bendy melted off the wall, and reshaped beside me as fast as he hid. "You wanna come along with me to the elevator, or are ya gonna keep stalking me?"

"Stalkin' sounds pretty good," Bendy grinned. He followed me back to the elevator cage, and watched as I hit the button. "I'll be keepin' an eye on you, pal, so don't go tryin' anything stupid on my watch. And ****don't**** tell that Boris you're with you found me. Got it?"

"Crystal." _Hold up a second. Did he just say 'Boris you're with'? What does he mean by that?_ Bendy nodded slowly, and crept backwards before disappearing into the wall again. This time, the ink stain fully vanished, and the cartoon left me alone. "Phew." The machine came to a halt, and I stepped in next to Boris. "Hey, Boris."

"Sammy said I had talent. He was always a good liar." Alice spoke to herself again on the PA, and I listened intently. Maybe something she said could help me figure out what was going on. "Still, he was once a very handsome man."

"O… kay?" Didn't need to really hear that part. I wasn't quite sure what her definition of handsome was. Hopping out of the elevator, I headed across the room to her door. I took out the four gears back out of my pockets, and dropped them and the wrench into the box. "There we go."

"Have you seen them? The swollen ones! They're just stuffed full of extra thick ink. It makes me sick!" _Yeah, it's making me sick to, hearing you prattle on about it._ "And yet… it's the perfect thing for keeping myself together. If you're going to catch them, you're going to have to learn to move quietly. Come back to my door. I'll have something that you'll need."

A giant needle. _Well, it's still better than the plunger, I guess._ "Okay then, Kate. We need to get that, hehe, thick ink. Oh my gosh, I can make so many jokes with that." I headed up the stairwell, and entered the room of the ink messages again. "Be very, very quiet. We're hunting swollens," I whispered with a lisp. __Eat it, Fudd.__ When the beast's head was turned, I jumped and dove the needle into its head, killing it. Smirking, I scooped up the remaining ink, and stuck it in my pocket. The substance was somewhat goopy, and stuck together in a clump. It wouldn't melt through easily in the fabric, so it should be safe.

"Thick!" I giggled as I stabbed another one in the workshop part of the room by the table, and then slashed a smaller ink blob close to it. "Two down!" There's another one. I crept across the hall, and poked my head into the room on the other side. "Thick!" Triple kill! One more left!

I ascended the stairs, and grinned as a thought popped into my head. "I wonder how sadistic this is making me?" Lunging forward, I killed the final swollen searcher and grabbed the ink on the floor. I didn't think it was affecting me too much. I wanted to avoid any death if at all possible, like the ink monster back in the utility shaft, but there were many creatures that wanted to take me down. Murder me for a reason that either I didn't know yet, or because destruction was all they knew.

"How sickening!" Alice shouted. Looks like she agrees with me on how gross this is. "Makes my skin crawl! But the task is done. Bring me back my equipment, please."

"On it." I headed towards the elevator, but paused to look at the Bendy cutout. "Hmmm. I wonder…" I aimed the needle towards the top of standee's head, and pressed it against it sharply.

"Hey! Watch where you're aimin' that, kid!"

"AH!" I spun on my heels and dashed towards the cage. Ramming my palm against the button, I threw myself into the box the moment the door opened. "Save me, Boris and Tiny Boris! SAVE ME!"

The cutout flopped to the ground on its front, and I watched as it turned back into a 3D Bendy as we began to descend to Alice's domain. Boris didn't see it, but I did. _I-I see too much now._ Lifting his head off the floor, Bendy gave me a twisted smile. "Havin' fun, kid?"

No.

No, I wasn't.

* * *

 ** **Yay! Chapter done!****

 ** **Now, if you will all excuse me, I have two tests to study for, and several review sessions to attend. Wish my mental state well!****

 ** **Angel****


	12. Bendy Comes a Crawlin'

****Disclaimer: HAPPY EARLY HALLOWEEN! Break out the costumes, candy, and the spooky scary skeletons!****

 ** **ultima-owner: Pretty much.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: I thought that was an interesting way to end the chapter.****

 ** **PiperDreamer: Only one midterm left: computer science. Ugh, programming. I'm trying to make Bendy's motives a mystery, as it helps build suspense and we the players of the game don't know everything yet.****

 ** **iron maker2: There's a video cassette that helps her piece it together. As for the other tapes, only time will tell. That, and I don't play the game myself, so I don't know the location of them.****

 ** **MagicMakerRose: (whispers thick intensely)****

 ** **TazmaniaLizard (twice): Thank you. Boris is still a mystery, but I am really leaning towards the idea that Bendy and Joey are the same guy.****

 ** **songlover124: I don't know about a Q &A. It might end up screwing with the mystery content of the story, but maybe I'll do something closer to the end, and not in the middle.****

 ** **MrR3M: Thanks!****

 ** **I own Kate.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: May 19/18**

* * *

"Once upon a time, there was an angel. And she was beautiful. And loved by all. She was perfect. No matter what Joey says."

Yeah, Drew seemed to be saying a lot of things. Not much of them nice and pleasant. __Something seems… off, about this.__ It's too quiet. "Boris?" I turned to look at my wolf companion and frowned. The cartoon was holding his head in fear, knees buckled and shaking madly. "Boris, pal, are you alright?" He shook his head, and I looked at Alice's entrance worriedly. "I'll make this quick, then you take the lift to a different level." Peering out through two of his fingers, Boris nodded quickly. Making my way to the deposit box as fast as I could in a walk, I grimaced pulling the thick lumps of ink from my pockets. "Gross. But in you go." Dropping them and the needle into the shoot, I stepped back anxiously.

Boris… he couldn't have known about Bendy, could he?

"You see those grinning demons? Let's remove them, shall we?" The cutouts? Well, I wasn't entirely sure how Bendy's gonna feel about that. Not the murderous one, but the short and snappy one. He felt everything I've done to the standees while possessing them. __Judging from giving me a heart attack after poking one with the needle,__ I thought. __No wonder the standees felt warm sometimes.__ This won't end well. "I've got just the tool to make this even more enjoyable."

The ax was back. Hehehe. Perfect.

Now, destroying those cutouts would be a great stress reliever, after how much both Bendy and his inky counterpart had put me through. However, I was a little apprehensive about going along with it. If Bendy could use them as windows to watch what was happening, then could Inky do that too? _May as well call him Inky. Calling them both Bendy would be too confusing._ Oh well. It was just another job, and if it required me to use those hideouts again, then so be it.

"Time to ax those cutouts a question." Oh, yes, the puns were also back. __Maybe I can reach places I haven't gotten to before!__ There was a door by the elevator boarded up, right? Glancing at the elevator, I noticed that Boris had heeded my advice and moved to a new area. "Alrighty then. Let's do this. Hiya!" Bringing it down in the familiar motion from before, I chopped the boards… and the ink monster hiding inside. Figures.

" ** **They say,**** ** **uh,**** ** **the real problem with Mr. Drew is that he never actually tells us little people anything. Oh sure, according to him there's always big stuff coming, adventure and fame and the like. But, uh, I'm the guy, see, who has to make sure our budgets don't go out of whack just 'cause genius upstairs went out and got himself another idea. Speaking of which, and this is top secret, apparently Mr. Drew has another large project in mind now… and it ain't gonna be cheap.**** "

Blinking in surprise at the recorder, my brain let the wheels kick into high gear. __Project… could he mean the ink machine? Or could it have something to do with what's happened to the studio?__ "Just keep walking, Kate. Just keep on walking."

You know, this adventure I was going through would make an awesome video game. Although, I could do without the silly errands Alice was putting me through. Good jumpscares though. "I'm gonna get old, going up these stairs." How many times had I done this already? "First Bendy." Finding it in the room where the THICK ink monsters were, I poked it for a second before chopping it down. I ****really**** didn't want to accidentally hit Bendy when he was inside it following me.

Didn't need him attacking or scaring me like before.

"That's all on this floor, I think. Time to move on. Oh, wait." I chimed in on the machine, and smiled. "Another day, another dollar." Or another nickle, if you're Squidward.

This place… it's backstory was a mystery. A mystery I was intent on solving. I felt like I was getting there. It's almost in front of me, but Bendy and everyone else was keeping it hidden. But why? What happened? Why did Joey do all of this? How did Susie and Sammy end up like that? Destroying the second cutout from where I first ran into Bendy, I mumbled to myself, "so many questions, so little time."

Hopping out at the top floor, I killed a searcher-which is what I was calling the living blobs now, since they seemed to hone in on my location very easily, and wouldn't back off without a fight-and a Butcher Gang member. "I remember seeing one of them here… seriously?" Bendy's grin earned an annoyed sigh from me. The standee was on the other side of the stairwell, and the only way to reach him was by calling up Boris. "Fine then. Have it your way… jerk."

I'd keep moving. He'd suffer last. __Up the stairs, and through the halls, to hack Bendy's face we go!__ I giggled, passing through the toy room with the large storage of plushies. With a smirk, I lashed out at every standee I started to find. Two were in that room, and as I rushed onward, I'd stumble across one every few meters. "Whoa!" Dodging a swing from a searcher, I sliced through its torso with practiced ease. "Now to have him suffer my womanly wrath."

Reaching the room where no doubt almost all of the rest were, besides the one by the elevator, I stood at the top of the Heavenly Toys area. Giant stuffed toys, a waterfall of ink, and many cutouts that would now befall my mighty ax. "The blade on the ax goes slash, slash, slash." I sang the word in the Wheels on the Bus tune with each chop, and just as I was wrenching the weapon through the second to last one in the room, I got a glimpse of a massive amount of ink gathering in the upper right corner. "Crud!"

Spying another hiding spot at the end of the walkways set up, right smack dab in the middle of the two entrances to the room behind it, I dashed towards it and wrenched the door open. Slamming it shut, I scooted back far enough to watch Inky limp down the stairs. The demon's head snapped around as he reached the bottom, looking around as he saw the lack of standees of his smaller and more cheerful cartoon form. With a low growl, he continued forward, passing in front of me to the space behind the box, and the dark tendrils vanished as fast as they appeared. "Phew." Taking a few seconds, I waited until I creaked the door open and poked my head out. "Alright. Two more, and then I book it back."

Sneaking out and taking down the last one in the room wasn't as hard as I'd have thought. Backtracking all the way to the elevator was, as by now, the tension was much higher. What would happen when I took down the last of his cutouts? And how fast would he get there?

Sliding down the railing of the stairs of the final destination, I hopped off the end laughing. Boris gave me a weird look from the cage, and I shrugged casually. "Can't I try to find a little enjoyment in this nuthouse?" He copied my shrug, and I walked past him to the cutout. "You might wanna move if you're in there, pal," I whispered, not taking any risk if small Bendy was inside. Raising the ax, I brought it down on its head, slicing it in two from the middle. "Heh."

"Ah, now that was fun!" Alice sighed happily. "Oh! But I forgot to mention… ****he**** hates it when I do that. I would hide if I were you." _Arrgh! I saw that one coming!_

Immediately, the entire room turned into the same, inky design as the smaller room had done when he came in, and I stumbled back in alarm. "B-Boris! Get outta here, now!" Boris nodded from within the cage, and lunged at the button, slamming his large hand on a button. The doors closed, and I watched him move to a lower floor. There, he was safe. Now to worry about myself! I needed to hide NOW! Shoes slipping on the wooden boards, I ran to the box and dove inside. Closing the door, I breathed deeply, back against the wall.

 _ _Not again. Please…__ _ _please,__ _ _don't find me!__ Inky limped his way down the stairs, and trudged across the floor in front of me. " ** **I kNow YoU aRe in hEre, BoWeNS.**** " So last time really wasn't a fluke. The Ink Demon really could speak. Though, there was a faint whistling when he did it and-oh lord, he knew my name. Bendy… Joey? He… knew my name. _M-my last name, anyways._ " ** **CoME oUt, CoMe Out, WhereEvRe yOU Are.**** " Looking around, he shook his head in mock disappointment. " ** **FiNe tHen. UnTIL NexT TimE.**** " Inky walked to the wall beside the box, and melted through the wall. The tendrils slowly vanished, and I sighed. That was the third time this had happened. I-I didn't think I could this up for much longer. "F-finally. He's… he's getting better. He almost got me that time."

"Yeah, kiddo. You nearly screwed up there, didn't cha?"

"AAHHH!" Screaming, I jumped from my seat, and fell through the door, onto my face. "Merrr… B-Bendy…?"

Bendy tapped his foot on the floor, arms crossed with that annoyed look on his face again. _What is that, his signature pose?_ "Why did you go along and destroy my windows? You wanna make it harder for me to watch over ya?"

"She wanted me to," I frowned, pushing myself up to my knees with the ax laying back in the box. "Sort of figured Inky there would also use them as a window, but then again, you seem to have a better handle at that. Besides, you want me to go against the psycho hybrid?"

"No. But still, at least you gave me a warning when you cut it down." So he was in the one on this floor. Bendy huffed, and stuck out a hand. "Get up, bud." Taking his gloved hand, I got to my feet with the added help. "You know she ain't done with you yet, right?"

"I figured. What does he want with me? Inky, I mean. What reason does he have to hate me, or…" _no. Oh, please don't think that…_ "Bendy, does… does he think that it's my dad in here? That I'm… him?" __That… that Joey thinks I'm Henry?__ "B-Bendy?" I watched the cocky facade of the demon falter, and it only seemed to dig my grave even further.

"Hehe, uh," Bendy rubbed the back of his head, chuckling. "Did you really expect otherwise?"

* * *

 ** **It's not a very long chapter, I know. But I've been so busy with homework, I'm glad I got a chapter up and ready.****

 ** **If anyone's curious about what Bendy sounds like... I'm thinking of Dryeguy. His Bendy voice is what I relate to the most.****

 ** **Can I ask two questions:****

 ** **1\. Do you want a special chapter based on the Halloween mode with Hello Neighbor?****

 ** **2\. I'm trying to increase my art skills. I have an account on Deviantart, and I'm trying to figure out what else to post. Do you have any idea on what sort of stuff I should draw, and how I should do it? Any readers who've checked out my other stories, do you have ideas from there too?****

 ** **Let me know. I'd like to have other people's input on what I do.****

 ** **Have a good day!****

 ** **Angel****


	13. Somebody Save Me

****Disclaimer: Chapter unlucky 13! What a perfect timing to end chapter 3 of the actual game.****

 ** **Transgirl2000: Well, I don't think his head is floating in the air.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: I like puns. I'll do some art some my school work has calmed down. As for the special chapter… maybe later on when we're stuck in the hiatus again.****

 ** **TazmaniaLizard: Bendy, OUR Bendy, I think can go almost anywhere where there's images of him. Or ink. The neighbor thing wouldn't be canon, it'd be just a random silly chapter.****

 ** **ultima-owner: Same here.****

 ** **MrR3M: So you have no art ideas?****

 ** **I own Kate.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 ** **Edited: Ma**** ** **y 17**** ** **/18****

* * *

"It would have been great if you told me this sooner!" I stormed down the stairs, choosing to walk instead of taking the elevator. Mostly, it was also because I wasn't sure of Boris' current status. He might have still been a little shaken about Inky's unexpected arrival. Plus, I really needed to rant to a certain shrimp. Bendy following beside me, keeping up with my fast pace by jumping several steps at a time. "What is it with you people being against my dad!? What did he do!?"

"Can't answer that yet either, kid. Sorry." He frowned, tugging on my vest for a moment. "Slow down, will ya? No one's gonna attack you."

"Then what was all those other times with people wanting to kill me?" I hissed. I stopped before the entrance from the stairwell to Alice's area. I didn't want to go out there with Bendy beside me. Who knew how she'd react to seeing or hearing him.

"That was before I made my grand appearance," Bendy grinned, pleased at the concept. _Gee, aren't you full of yourself?_ "I'll be with you in a bit. Gotta go keep my eye on him for a while. Have fun! Try not to die!" He melted into the floor, leaving me growling under my breath.

"And who the heck is HIM?" Why couldn't I get a single freakin' answer from him!? I had never been so confused, and so frustrated, in all of my life! Marching down the stairs, I headed to the shoot and dropped the ax in. "Done."

"The disgusting wretches have wandered my halls, have gone unchecked!" Alice yelled. "They're trying to drag me back to the darkness! Don't let them take your angel! Purge them one by one! Smash them into puddles! KILL THEM!" __Honestly, it sounds more like she's talking to herself rather than me sometimes.__

Running to where the tools would come up from below, I grabbed my weapon Boris had given me earlier. "Looks like I'm in for a fight." Spotting the searchers rise up at the bottom of the stairs, I smirked. "Let's do this." Not like I wasn't covered in ink enough already. Having their splattered bodies decorate my clothes wouldn't make that much more of a difference. Running down, I cackled as I bashed in their heads in, leaping around like a madman to avoid their far reaching swings. Not gonna lie, I was starting to enjoy this part of my situation; being stuck down there. I'd managed to get faster, and had avoided injury since the music department. Several of the Butcher Gang monsters came down the stairs at the far end of the room, and ran/limped towards me.

Let them come to me. Why bother chasing after them when they're obviously after me? I managed to knock their weapons away, and chose to aim for their necks. It seemed like the weakest point on the lesser monsters. It was interesting to hear something similar to a faint snapping of bone when I did that… they had no bones, so it wasn't like I actually snapped their necks.

"So quiet. Like a welcoming grave. I like the silence, don't you?" It was… soothing. Having nothing trying to kill you. "I hate leaving work unfinished! Fortunately, I have you to pick up the pieces. But you'll have to go even deeper, my child. Down, down, down into the abyss." I thought I explored all there was. What 'abyss'? "Take the lift down. Say hello to an old friend of your father's." _Wait, what?_ She knew… how did she know who I was? "Sending you a little present. A little firepower. Take good care of it. It belonged to someone very special." Firepower? I wonder what she-oh. Oh, ho, ho! Yes!

A Tommy gun! Finally! Now we're having some ****real**** fun! I reached up to grab the weapon, and gasped, arm freezing in shock. The entire machine trembled under my hand, fingers barely brushing against the weapon before it turned into ink in my hand, spilling to the floor at my feet. "Wh-what?" I squeaked.

"Oops. I forgot. It's a little hard to get a hold of. Oh well. Better luck next time."

…

Alice, you TROLL!

"Argh!" Throwing my hands in the air, I spun on my heels and walked back to the lift. I was-you just didn't fool someone like that! Boris gave me an amused look, silently chuckling at my misfortune, and I stuck my tongue out. "Oh, shove off. How was I supposed to know that would happen?" Sighing, I looked at the panel. "Guess we're going to the one level I haven't reached yet." Level 14.

The elevator slowed to a halt, and I stepped out after looking around at my surroundings with caution. Patting my toy Boris on the head from his place in my vest pocket, I tightened my hold on the pipe. Ink was everywhere. And boy, did I mean everywhere. No sugar coating there. Lining the ceiling, trailing down the walls, and making a sea at the bottom of the stairs. Thick gooey blackness as far as the eye could see. "What is it I'm supposed to do down here?" I whispered. I stopped, seeing one of the dead ink monsters in the corner, holding a deformed heart. "Okay. That's just gross." It squelched in my head, and a shiver raced up my back. _Ew, ew, ew._ Sticking it into my pocket-once again, very glad they're deep-I turned to head downwards. This was a terrifying room, and I wanted out as fast as possible. I just had to find a few more hearts, and I was golden. A flashing light came far below me from a corner, and I instinctively dove behind a barrel.

"Shhh… there he is. The Projectionist. Skulking in the darkness." Ah, capitalization. Not projectionist, but the ****Projectionist****. "You be sure to stay out of his light, if you don't want trouble. Just bring me back the pieces I need." At least Alice was whispering over the PA. He moved past the towering Bendy stone statue until I couldn't see him again, and I nodded in understanding. If I planned this right, it would seem the monster had a set path it followed. So, I just had to understand it and make sure not to cross its course.

"Time to hustle." Creeping down the stairs, I began wading through the chilling black liquid to behind the stairs. Unfortunately, massive pipes prevented me from moving further, forcing me to retreat. "Whoa." I froze, seeing the light bounce off the ink ahead of me until it faded. "Gotta be quiet."

A _tape recorder?_ I stared down at the machine on a box, stuck in the lake of ink under me. Glancing around in case the Projectionist came back, I pressed play. " ** **Now I'm not lookin' for trouble. It's just the nature of us projectionists to seek out the dark places. You see, I've learned the ins and outs of this here studio. I know how to avoid being bothered by the likes of this… company. That projectionist, they always say, creeping around, he's just lookin' for trouble. Well trouble or not, I sees everything. They don't even know when I'm watchin'. Even when I'm right behind 'em.**** "

… N-Norman. Norman Polk. Dad mentioned the man who ran the projections. I recalled, back in the music department, hearing one of his tapes describing Sammy as he would run back and forth from the projector room to the music room to enter his sanctuary. Was he… that monster? N-no. I-I didn't get it. Sure, Alice and Sammy, but why him?

"D-don't think about it, Kate. Just keep going." I was about to head down the left entrance, but I wanted to check to see if there was anything on the other side of the tower. If the right had nothing, then the left might be useful. Knocking down the boards in my way, I reached the other side of the pipes, and spotted a valve on the side. "Does this even do anything?" I cranked it, and heard something being drained in the distance, high above my head. "Better check that out once I'm out." Turing around, I headed towards the left entrance of the maze, and tilted my head in surprise. Projections of different clips of a Bendy cartoon played around each hall, and a childish smile crept over me. "Tombstone Picnic." Just like the projector from before. Ducking around another corner to hide from the towering monster, I continued on. Second heart, ew. Third, fourth. "Are there any more?" _Guess there's five of them._

They were all in corners of this maze, making it easy to hide from Norman. I was already covered in ink, and with the bits of white fabric stained, I suited my surroundings. A little… too much, to my discomfort. I did find a fifth heart though, hiding behind one of the hiding boxes I kept using. "Tell me. Were they still writhing in your hands? Bring them to me now! I don't like to wait."

I didn't want to hurt Norman. Sammy deserved his fate, and so did Alice. Whatever led him to turn into that, he didn't deserve it. He sounded… creepy, yes, but not evil. Or obsessed. Perhaps… he knew too much? He found something he wasn't supposed to? Who knows. But I didn't want to be forced to fight him.

Climbing the stairs, I peeked over the edge, and watched him come out of the maze again. "Sorry, Norman. If dad knew, maybe he would have done something to help you." Norman's projection head lifted up, and I lit up as the light struck me. He didn't move, but he nodded slowly before moving back along his set path once again. He… understood. "I'm sorry." I walked away, and opened the cage to step in. Boris smiled, and patted my head, rustling the loose black hairs sticking out of my braid.

"You heard all that, huh? He didn't deserve that." The cage opened, and I grinned sadly. "None of you guys do." But before I did that, get rid of the hearts… I wanted see where that valve connected to. And I think I know where.

When I was running around the studio, there was a hallway with a staircase, blocked off by a huge amount of ink. No doubt in my mind, that should be cleared now. "And it is." I stood at the top, staring down at the gooey mess. With a hand on the wall for support, I walked down. The only thing in there was a recorder sitting on a table in the middle of the room. Why though? Why was this tape hiding from me? Pressing play, I gasped, as a familiar voice came through the crackling speaker.

" ** **Only two weeks into this company, and already it's gotten interesting. Joey is a man of ideas… and only ideas. When I agreed to start this whole thing with him I thought there would be a little more give and take. Instead I give, and he takes. I haven't seen Linda for days now.****

 ** **Still, someone has to make this happen. When in doubt, just keep drawing Henry. On the plus side, I've got a new character I think people are gonna love.**** "

 _ _Dad… H-Henry… oh man.__ Tears dripped down my cheeks, making light gray streaks against the ink on my face. I was… so, ****so**** close to going home. I needed to see him again. I didn't even remember walking back to the shoot and disposing the hearts. What character? Why was Joey keeping him there for so long? Why… why didn't you ever tell me anything, dad? What went wrong there, and why won't Bendy answer my questions?

"It seems we've reached the end of my to-do list, my little errand girl. I hope you enjoyed our time together." I definitely learned a lot, so it did help some. "I'll always treasure it. Return to the lift. It's time to go home."

That's it? I-I guess it was. There's… not anything holding me back from leaving. But… could I really leave Boris behind? And what about Bendy? In a daze, I moved to the elevator, and entered it. Boris watched me, and I moved closer to him so he could hug me. "If it's possible, even in the slightest, I would like you to come home with me." Boris blinked in shock, and I giggled into his black fur. "I'm certain Henry would love to meet you. My mom not so much, but we can worry about that later." Boris closed his eyes, and opened them with a firm nod. "If we happen to find anyone else that isn't after my blood, they can come too. I want to save anyone I can find in here."

Bendy w… was coming too. Regardless of his intentions, he shouldn't have stay in there. He deserved a life, just as much as Boris and the rest of us do. The elevator began to ascend, and we listened to Alice's voice. "Have you ever wondered what Heaven is like? I like to dream that it's quite beautiful. A soft valley of green grass, blanketed by a warm sun. I don't think I'll ever get to see it. Are you ready to ascend, my little errand girl? The heavens are waiting."

The floors moved past until we were just past the highest floor where we first boarded at the start of this mission, and soon Alice began to giggle. They were sweet at first, until the sanity behind them began to slip. Melting into evil, twisted, and sadistic laughter. And then, before Boris and I could think… it happened.

The elevator began to plunge back down.

"Did you really think I'd let you steal from me!? Did you really think I'd just let you go!?" Boris gripped me tighter, and we stumbled to our knees as gravity doubled down on us. His arms wrapped around me, holding me close to his warm chest in fear of having myself fly against the wall. In turn, I clung to the straps of his overalls for my life. Sparks appeared where the corners of the elevator were, stinging our skin and fur. "No, Kate! I know who you are! And I know why you're here!"

 _She heard me. She heard me talking to Bendy._ "And you will not stop what needs to be done! Now come down and BRING ME BACK MY BORIS!" Boris had frightened tears running down his face, and I gripped him harder in a panic. What did she need him for!? She already killed all of those other Boris'! "It's the most perfect Boris I've ever seen and I want it! I need it. I need its insides so I can be beautiful again! Don't you understand!? Don't you get it!? Give him to me!? Or better yet, I'll take him! Once… you're… ****DEAD!**** "

The elevator crashed to the floor, and I flew forward, cracking my skull against the metal wall. Blackness began to invade my vision, and I knew I was about to pass out from my injury. Fading in and out as the room rang in my ears, Boris rushed to my front, and began shaking my head. His black eyes begging for me to stay awake. __A… concussion? Everything's all… muffled. That's… not… normal.__ I spied something out of the corner of my eye, moving towards us. __A… Alice…?__ I tried to force myself to cry out, to warn him, to say anything! But my tongue felt heavy, and my head dropped further in his hands, losing myself. __B-Boris…! She's… look behind-!__

Too late. Darkness enveloped my vision once more, and when my sight reappeared for a few more seconds before passing out, I saw Boris being pulled down a never-ending black hallway by the hybrid. __BORIS…!__ No… no…! St-stay awake! I-I needed to save him! I needed… I needed…

I needed help. My head dropped to the floor, and I felt the ink and blood against my skin. __Anyone… dad__ _…_ _ _Boris…Bendy… help me.__ And there, for the millionth time since I had arrived, I let the darkness drape over me and my mind blank out.

 _... h-help..._

* * *

 ** **Chapter 3 is done and over! Which unfortunately, means we're back to the pain of a chapter hiatus.****

 ** **That doesn't mean I won't post while we're waiting. Meatly made those two actual cartoons for the game, and there was still the Hello Neighbor mod. I'll probably make a few special chapters out of them. The mod crossover of course being a non-canon special. Mostly for kicks and giggles. The cartoon ones would be canon though.****

 ** **So until the next time I post, have a great day/afternoon/evening!****

 ** **Angel****


	14. Once I was Seven Years Old

****Disclaimer: Here's the first of the cartoon one shots for Bending. This helps hold over until chapter four's release. I hope you enjoy it!****

 ** **ultima-owner: Yeah, but just like many other games, it is turning into a cringy fanbase.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Dunno. All we can do is wait for the next chapter.****

 ** **R4v3n Wy7ch: I needed a better Bendy. His attitude is so fun to write.****

 ** **TazmaniaLizard: There was the Halloween one, and the one in the chapter 3 trailer.****

 ** **MrR3M: After thinking it over, I'm not doing the Hello Neighbor thing. It's too weird.****

 ** **Crystalmoon89: No, but there is another black haired, artsy girl who's dealing with cartoons. Got a Cuphead thing you might like.****

 ** **Yorkmanic88: Good for you!****

 ** **redvintage888: All the time in the studio, of course her sanity would have been affected a little bit.****

 ** **You know I own.****

"Speaking"

 **Edited: Mar. 22/18**

* * *

I giggled, watching the demon walk merrily across the TV. Black and white cartoons. They were much better than the bright and cherry ones the channels showed. The humor was better, even if I didn't understand most of it. "Daddy, aren't you coming to watch Bendy with me?" I called. Dad walked in from the kitchen, sitting down his water glass and smiling.

"Now how did you figure out how to work the VHS player?" He asked, looking from me to the screen. "Is my little girl growing up already?" I beamed at that. Seven years old wasn't huge, but I knew true art when I saw it. Dad was a reti-ti-red cartoonist. He made things like Bendy. That's why I love him so much! Bendy and daddy!

"Uh-huh! Watch with me, dad! Please!" I pulled off my biggest doe eyes, pouting my lip for effect. Chuckling, he bent down to pick me up, and sat me on his lap on the couch. He smelled of print and ink. My favorite smell. "Yay!"

"Alright, Kate. Now let's watch Bendy and Boris." Bendy walked along with his picnic basket as the image finally came on, only for something to throw him to the ground by grabbing his leg. It was white and knobby. Branches and roots didn't look like that.

Bendy seemed confused too. Grabbing his leg, he pulled himself free, and brought up a skeleton! Bendy stared at it in shock, as it waved its finger in disappointment. Kinda like what I've seen mom do when I had done something wrong. The skeleton grabbed the ground and pulled it back over its head, vanishing.

The screen moved on to the side, and I giggled into my hands. "Boris!" I cried. "That food is Bendy's!" The wolf was eating his sandwich, with the picnic blanket all laid out. Bendy marched over to him angrily, and tapped his shoulder. Boris didn't seem to notice, and reached around to pick up the blanket.

Dad laughed along with me as Boris pulled it out from under Bendy, using it to wipe his mouth. Bendy marched back up, tapping again on Boris' shoulder to no success. Bendy's eyes widened, and he looked at me. Snapping his fingers, he winked. Was there a joke in between us?

Sneaking into the basket without the wolf's knowledge, he pulled out a bottle of soda. Shaking it, he uncapped the contents to let the liquid spray out. Boris and everything around him flew up into the air, and Boris landed on his bum first. Bendy laughed, making an odd whistling noise until Boris got up.

"Bad Boris!" I frowned, watching him growl at Bendy. Bendy ran off screen, and soon the picnic basket landed on Boris' head. All of the food inside landed around him, and the sandwich fell at his feet. Feeling around for it, he picked it up and began eating it.

Bendy scattered into a graveyard, and dove behind a tombstone. Looking around nervously for Boris, he didn't notice the skeleton doing the same thing until they locked eyes. Bendy ran away from it, and came to a halt in front of a large rock. Knees shaking, he tried to regain his breath.

All of a sudden, a giant shadow crept over Bendy, stretching over the rock. Leaning forward, I saw Bendy's grin turn bright, before the tape cut out. The machine gave a loud whirring sound, and I hoped the tape wasn't broken. "Aw, man. Daddy, what happened?" Dad sat me down, and walked over to the TV to take it out. I saw a strand of film sticking out from the box.

"Looks like it ran into a snag, kiddo. I'll try fixing it as soon as I can." Setting it down on the coffee table, he turned around. I took after him more than mom. I had his eye color and hair. All I get from mom is my stub-stub… personality? I think that's what she said. "Why do you like Bendy so much anyway, Kate? There's much better cartoons on air than that old thing."

"Because you made it!" I declared as it was the most obvious thing in the world. "That's why Bendy and Boris are so great. They're funny, and they don't have those weird lessons in them like mom insists on me watching like tying my shoes and knowing numbers. Why learn that when I already knew them?"

"Yes, well, your mom has her… opinions," dad said carefully. "But she loves you." I shrugged, and crawled off the couch. The giant black t-shirt I wore as a nightgown bounced at my knees, and I stood in front of him.

"Not as much as you do." Dad smiled fondly, and scooped me into his arms. As he hugged me, I swung my legs in the air happily.

"You got that right, Kate. You're gonna be a great artist one day, just like your papa." We laughed, and I wrapped my arms around him as best as I could. "Love you, my little ink demon."

"Love you too, daddy."

* * *

 ** **Oh, the fluff is real in this.****

 ** **I just figured I'd show that I'm not dead, and ended up having this pop into my head for what I could do with the cartoon. The Halloween one is still there, so another child Kate shall appear in the future.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	15. Daddy's Little Ink Demon

**Disclaimer: Welcome to the second short in Bending Reality! I'm running out of little things to post.**

 **StoriesUnleashed: Thanks!**

 **Andonexus KotD: Thank you!**

 **RainbowCelin (reviewed twice): Probably mentioned this in other stories, but I'm Canadian. I celebrate Thanksgiving in early October. Thanks though. I hope you had a fun one too.**

 **ultima-owner: They do, don't they?**

 **MagicMakerRose: Well, that's where things get weird. In my idea, Joey made black and white cartoons in the later 20th century because of how much he liked them growing up himself. It made their studio much different than other cartoon studios. No one's immortal. Just a little bit quirky.**

 **Miraculous Pink Ninja: BENDY!**

 **Galacter: That's not exactly how this story goes. Just like what I did with chapter 3, chapter 4 is a hiatus. I won't post anything until it comes out. However, due to the shorts Meatly made, I am able to make two chapters to fill in the gap. Chapter 3's hiatus thankfully fell on a time where I wasn't even able to write. When he announces it's opening time, you can expect Kate to make her return.**

 **TazmaniaLizard: Fluff is a beautiful thing.**

 **MrR3M: Thanks.**

 **FrostyAngelWings: Alright. Thanks.**

 **Kate is now eleven in this short. Still very adorable though!**

"Speaking"

* * *

"Ah, now where is my little demon?"

I giggled, hiding behind the couch. Daddy just brought me back from trick-or-treating, and I had asked for him to put on the Bendy Halloween tape. Of course, while he was doing that, I decided to play a hiding game with him.

"AHA!" Oh no! Dad grabbed my sides, hoisting me into the air. "There you are, you cheeky little devil!"

"Dad, you're gonna rip my costume!" I protested, swinging my legs. I grinned when I heard him exclaim, knowing I managed to kick him in the stomach. He dropped me onto the cushions of my hiding spot, smiling tiredly at me.

"Alright, Bendy. Happy now?" Very. Despite mom's attempts for a 'practical' costume, like a nurse or a princess, I had dad help me make a Bendy costume. I had a black headband with little devil horns, a long sleeved black shirt and leggings, white rubber boots, white gloves, and black paint around my eyes like in the old cartoons. What worried me was dad damaging my horns. It took ages to find them in my size!

"Yep! Can we start watching now? Please? Please? Please? PLEASE!?" Dad laughed, and put in the VHS.

"Fine. Put don't tell your mom you're up so late, okay?" I nodded, and snuggled into his side as the cartoon began. Spooky music filled the room, and I watched Bendy with a pumpkin pail walk up to Boris' house. I knew it was his house by the mailbox.

Bendy rang the doorbell, and held out the pail for his treats, but no one came. He lowered the bucket, giving the door a funny look before trying again. This annoyed him though, and he repeatedly rang the bell. Where was Boris?

Bendy stared at us, tapping his foot impatiently. I understood why. No one likes waiting for candy. Fed up, he looked through the window, seeing Boris snore loudly in his chair. His feet were propped up on a small stool. Bendy grinned to himself as an idea popped into his head. Stepping away from the window, he flung a sheet with two holes cut in it over his eyes over himself.

"That's not a very good costume, is it, dad?" I asked. Dad chuckled, and shook his head no. Bendy held up his arms, ready to scare someone when they opened the door, but Boris beat him to it. Boris, in the same costume as Bendy, spooked the little demon. Bendy jumped, tossing his bucket in the air and ran off.

Boris took his sheet off, and picked up the bucket by its handle. As the screen faded using that weird circle technique, Boris gave us a sly grin. That old tune Shave and a Haircut played at the end, and that was it.

"Well, Kate? Are you happy?" Dad asked. He went to take the tape out, and I nodded from my seat.

"Every Bendy cartoon makes me happy, dad. You know that," I smiled. "But… why doesn't mom like them? I thought she'd get used to the idea that I liked what you did for a living. That I liked drawing. Instead she's all math, and science, and junk."

"Now, Kate. Math and science are important, you know that. Heh. You take way too much after me, I swear." Standing up, he scooped the girl into his arms, and carried her down the hall towards her room. "It's not what you wanna do for a living, is it?"

"It is! I wanna be an artist, dad. My teachers say I have something special, and I should specialize in it once I get to high school… even though I'm not even in junior high yet. Stupid elementary school." Dad laughed, and dropped me onto my bed. The room was pitch black, and I was too tired to change into my pajamas. Instead, I took off my boots, gloves, and headband, dropping them to the floor.

"Well, how about this, Kate? When you get old enough, I'll teach you everything I learned while making Bendy, okay? How to get the drawings that you want, that are always stuck in your head. How about this?" I beamed, nodding furiously. This just made my hair fling all to the front and cover my face.

"Sure thing, dad!" Dad smiled, and knelt down to kiss my forehead.

"Honestly, if he were real, you two would get along for sure," he mumbled. "Night, kiddo."

Sliding under the covers, I grinned tiredly back at him. "Night dad."

* * *

 **The second short, as promised. Chapter four is rumored to be out early 2018, so hopefully this hiatus isn't too much longer.**

 **If anyone has any ideas on things to help pass the time, let me know!**

 **Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	16. Black, White, and Snowy All Over

**Disclaimer: What are the odds another cartoon would've come out during this stupid hiatus? Happy holidays everyone, and a happy new year to you! The next time I'll be writing on here will be in 2018!**

 **StoriesUnleashed: My OC!**

 **Crystalmoon39: You're welcome!**

 **RainbowCelin: Yep, I'm Canadian. Thought I'd mention it at least a few times in the other stories you've read. I like your idea, but there's a few problems with the continuity. One main one is that Henry left the animation business before Kate was born, and the cartoons weren't there… at least to their knowledge.**

 **ultima-owner: Same. I really wanna rescue Boris.**

 **FrostyAngelWings: She is, isn't she? Every OC I've made is teen to young adult. These brief moments with younger Kate are the only times I write as a child.**

 **Tazmanializard: I celebrate Christmas, and thanks!**

 **Apocalypsebutterfly: I knew about the updates. That's why I went back and edited the older chapters.**

 **We're back to seven year old Kate again.**

"Speaking"

* * *

"Daddy! Hurry! It's starting!" I called from under my large blanket cocoon on the couch. Mom was stuck at work due to a snow storm, and the roads weren't cleared yet. Although the power was knocked out for our street, dad had managed to fish out the gen… the gener… ator, and set it up.

Big words still confused me.

Dad returned from the kitchen, holding two cups of hot chocolate. "Here you go, Kate. Remember, it's still hot." I held the mug in my hands, watching the steam drift upwards. Oohing, I blew on the liquid before taking a sip. My insides were instantly warmed, and the sweetness made me giggle. There was nothing more fun than hot chocolate on a cold day. There were even marshmallows in it, just how I liked it!

"Thanks, dad! Oh, it's starting!" Bendy, clad in earmuffs this time, was rolling a ball of snow through a winter field as Christmas music played in the background. Jingle Bells, I think. That made me smile even more. Christmas was almost as great as Halloween. The only thing that topped this holiday was I didn't get to be spooky and scary and wear a cool costume.

Why would I want to dress as a Grinch anyway? What even was that? Or a Who?

Bendy reached the lower part of his snowman, and struggled to lift the other ball on top. The snowman looked like it was going to be taller than him, by at least a few inches. He did manage to place it in the end though, without tumbling over.

Bendy grinned at his success, and put two pieces of coal for eyes on the head, and drew a mouth with his finger. "Daddy, look! They're twins!" They had the same eyes and smile! Dad laughed, and gently patted my head. He had to be gentle. I was still holding my drink.

Mom wouldn't like it if I made a mess.

Bendy stuck in two sticks for arms, and the snowman came to life. He shook Bendy's hand, thanking him for creating him. Just as he let go, Boris came walking by with an armful of carrots, munching on one himself. The snowman quickly returned to normal, as if it never happened.

As Boris moved out of the screen's view, a single carrot fell to the ground. Bendy cheered happily, and picked it up. It was the perfect nose! He stuck it in the snowman's face, and stood back, feeling quite proud… until the evil sun came out and melted him! Poor Bendy! He looked so horrified and upset!

And then Boris came by and took the carrot to eat! The screen shrank, focusing on a teary Bendy, who watched us pitifully.

"That… that was stupid!" I exclaimed. I put my mug down, and threw my hands out of my blanket in shock. "Why make a cartoon about a sad Bendy?"

"Not gonna lie, I was just as confused as you were when Joey had us make that one. There are a few cartoons that made Bendy the butt of several jokes," dad said. It's nice to see we shared the same opinion. "Kate, is something bothering you?"

"Daddy… why does mom not like Bendy?" I asked, biting my lip nervously. "I mean cartoons? She seems…"

"Controlling?" Exactly. "Kate, you know your mom loves you. She just… has a weird way of showing it." She sure did! She wanted me to not watch cartoons, to focus solely on my schooling, and to be more… I think she said practical?

I was seven! I was a KID! I wasn't supposed to be acting like that until I was at least in junior high!

"I know… dad, you think I'm… a good child, right?" I said quietly, keeping my head down. Dad sat his mug down, and pulled me into a warm hug. He stroked the top of my hair, and smiled fondly.

"You're a great child, Kate. Not many kids are lucky enough to have an old animator like me for a father. I blame that for your love and talent in art." My teachers did love my drawings. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Hehe. Thanks, daddy." I rested my head on his chest, inhaling the scent of machinery that stuck on him as he had set up the machine earlier. He was also still cold from having to go out to the garage. He was tired, but… I just wanted to… stay here and sleep. "Can we sleep here?"

"Ha ha. Sure, sweetheart. It's too cold for you to sleep by yourself anyway." The power could still cut out. Dad brought me in closer, and turned off the TV. "Goodnight, Kate. Happy new year."

"Happy new year, daddy."

* * *

 **The timing for this was perfect. I mean, what are the odds I'd be able to get another chapter out before chapter four's release date.**

 **These little chapters of Kate's past are pretty fun to write, even if they do contradict the genre this story follows. But hey! We all need some fluff and adorable now and then.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	17. Operation: Save the Boris

**Disclaimer: Well, I'm happy. I actually got Bendy on my laptop now! Woo hoo! Now I can scare myself without Mark/Will/Sean screaming over the audio.**

 **Also, everything except the flashback chapters have now been fully edited. New material and expanded parts from the updates and my own imagination. Make sure to check those out beforehand.**

 **JustBeStill: Same!**

 **Tazmanializard: Exactly. That's why I'm taking my time.**

 **RainbowCelin: Woo woo!**

 **Hourglass Cipher: Thanks!**

 **StrudelQueen: Make that one chapter left of the real game. I've gone back and edited every chapter, minus the flashback ones, so there's updated content to read. I already have a good idea how chapter 4 is going to run, so sit back and enjoy the ride!**

 **JenkaTheNewLegend: Odd. I could've sworn your username was different when I wrote this chapter up. I thought the chapter 4 plot was really cool. I wasn't very confused, although it seems killing the Projectionist in chapter 3 is redundant since he'll appear in chapter 4 no matter what.**

 **Now, I should mention this now, but chapters might be a little random. Posting time, I mean. I have work I'm doing over the summer, so doing one per week might be a little hard. Plus, I have a ton of other stories I'm working on too.**

 **I own Kate, not Bendy!**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

" **Reading** "

* * *

"W… u...! C'mon, k…! Wa… up!" A sharp stinging against my cheek jolted me awake, and I blearily blinked up at the last face I would've imagined seeing. "About time!" Bendy huffed, stepping back. "Thought you'd be out until the cows come home!"

"B-Bendy…?" My voice was soft, and my head was pounding. No doubt, that was from the… the crash. _Oh cr-Boris!_ I tried to jump to my feet, only for the world to turn sideways and allow myself to fall onto my side with a thump. "Ah!"

"Well, what do ya expect? You banged your head pretty hard on that fall of yours," he commented, walking around to get into my line of sight again. Looking over my shoulder, I let my head to turn around to see what he was staring… oh.

The elevator was thrashed. The metal bars that once held me and Boris safely were bent and twisted, with the ceiling of it caved in. A faint trail of smoke drifted up from where the sparks were created along the edges from where it screeched against the walls of the studio, surprising me in how no fire was created from the crash. Ink continued to drip from the ceiling in various spots of the ceiling, and from a quick at a nearby sign, I was on floor S. "You… why didn't you tell me the elevator was unstable!?" I hissed at the demon, grasping out at the edge of the machine to hoist myself up. My legs shook under me, but I had to stand. I had to keep moving. Staying in the same spot would me my death by Inky… and Boris' butchering by Alice.

"What're you blamin' me for!? You and I both know Alice isn't exactly the sweetest angel on the planet!" Bendy replied back with a snark. "There's no way in hell she'd have let you make off with Boris! Besides that, it might have been wise of ya to have listened to this recording that you missed earlier!" The demon pulled out said device from out of nowhere, making me open and close my mouth in shock. Wh-where did he even get that? He didn't have pockets.

" **These blasted elevators… sometimes they open… sometimes they don't… sometimes they come… sometimes they keep on going to hell and back. I keep telling these people, if Mister Joey Drew keeps cutting corners like this, someone's sure to end up falling to their death. And it sure ain't gunna be me. I'm taking the stairs.** "

I stared at the recording in his hands as he went to put it on a crate in the corner, and growled in frustration. "Excuse me, for not paying attention to every single little detail in this madhouse!" Dusting off my vest, I began to walk down the new hallway. Err… it was more like a limp. The impact scrambled my head, and my ankle wasn't up to par just yet. I was tired, and sore, and just wanted to sleep. But now was not the time. Now was definitely not the time. "Now, if we're done talking, there's a wolf in need of rescue."

"Hold up there, kid." Bendy jogged over to me, keeping in sync with my slowed pace as I kept a hand on the wall. "I like Boris, I do, but the guy's just one in several copies in the studio. If the angel's got him, then poof. That's it. There ain't any use huntin' down a dead wolf walkin'."

"Then y-you're... you're just as heartless as Joey is." I knew I was treading on eggshells around the demon, but I'd enough of his attitude, and thinking he was all that and a bag of chips. If he insisted on tagging along with me, on keeping an out for my health, then he had got to get off his high horse and care for someone other than himself for once. "If you keep saying you're nothing like them, then you wouldn't keep trying to project yourself and help the other people trapped in this place. I don't care if it's a suicide mission. Didn't you think I didn't realize the danger I was throwing myself in the moment I intercepted dad's letter? He may just be one Boris, but he's **my** Boris. My friend, and if it was me in his situation, then he'd go and save me to. Y-you guys were my childhood heroes, after all…"

I had zero clue where that admission came from. Either it was from the impact to my head, or the ink fumes, but now… now I was being truthful to Bendy. The demon's previous narrowed eyes widened in astonishment, not expecting that line. To be honest... neither was I. "You guys… I grew up on dad's stories of him working in the studio, and watching old tapes of your cartoons. It was… you guys were the reason I chose to become an artist." My expression then hardened, and I trudged forward before making a right turn at a fork. "Look. I-I don't care if you like me or not, and I don't care if you think my goal is pointless. But I am rescuing Boris, and we're getting out of here. Boris, me… and anyone else who is in need of saving."

With that, I finally left the cartoon behind, and headed to whatever new area lied before me. _I'm sorry, Bendy. But you needed to hear the truth._ "Hang on, Boris. I'm coming."

* * *

She really was like her old man. I watched the raven haired girl disappear around the corner, before melting back into the wall and traveling on ahead. She was too stubborn for her own good. Yet… yet her heart was all in the right place. Still though, it was only a matter o' time before that heart got ripped out of her chest for all the studio to see. Heart, intestines, the whole shebang.

"Oh boy." Sighing, I rose up from my puddle just on the other side of the vaulted door. The kid would be opening that up any time now, after getting the needed part from Grant's room. Hoped she didn't listen to that tape about Grant. Her nerves were already fried enough as it was. _Hearin' that is the last thing she needs._

 _So, she wanted to go huntin' down an angel, huh?_ Oh, I was gonna regret this. "Hehe… well, who am I not to give her a hand, like the good demon I am?" The door creaked open, signaling the lights on the ink statues behind me to turn on. The girl's head poked in, and she stared down at me with a raised brow; a tight lipped look greeted me. _She did. She listened to it._ "Alrighty, toots. You twisted my arm." I stepped forward, adjusting my tie with a glare. "You better not get yourself killed for him, got it?"

Her face was still set in a small frown, but I would call it a win when the corners of her mouth fluttered up slightly. "Got it, Bendy."

* * *

The banner overhead, " **he will set us free** ", never seemed more haunting. The frozen inky statues of people that were clearly in pain felt like ice was doused over my insides, chilling me to the bone. Books lined the shelves farther to the back, and the spotlights flickered on and off, casting shadows around the room. "Bendy…?"

"Just ignore them." His hand wrapped around me, and he led me around the stage. "This way's where you wanna be focusin' your attention." A circle of shelves was in the middle of a round room, equally lined with books. At the far end was a closed off door, with 5 light bulbs attached to a plate above it. _Well, the sign did say archives. Figured there would be so many books._ "Just find the books needed to turn all of those on."

"Bet they're related to you," I mused, earning a small chuckle. Stepping into the center of the room, I spotted a recorder on a table with a few books and an empty can. "Hmm… I'm gonna regret this one."

" **They told me I was perfect for the role. Absolutely perfect. Now Joey's going around saying things behind closed doors. I can always tell.**

 **Now he wants to meet again tomorrow, says he has an 'opportunity' for me. I'll hear him out. But if that smooth talker thinks he can double cross an angel and get away with it, well, oh he's got another thing coming.**

 **Alice, ooh, she doesn't like liars.** "

"Figured it was her." The static shut off, and I glanced over to Bendy. "So, where's these books, exactly?" Bendy's grin stretched, and he pushed a book with an image of himself on it back into its rightful place behind him, having been sticking out before. A small sound, like the start up of electricity came from behind me, signaling a bulb turned on. "Four more."

Stepping outside of the ring, I pushed one further up the wall, and continued to circle around it. Bendy had moved over to the door, choosing to watch me do the odd job myself. Finding a third one, I smiled as I pushed it in… and gave a terror-filled screech.

Orange lights flashed in my eyes, as the chandelier above the table swung back and forth dangerously. The room was shaking, and I stumbled backwards to cling to the bookshelves, knocking a few novels onto the floor. As fast as it all happened, it stopped. Blinking back what just ran through my head, I looked around. N-nothing. Nothing at all.

"Wh-what the heck was that?" I breathed faintly. W-was that all in my head? Wa-did I finally start to lose my mind in there? "Uh, kid? You doin' alright?" Bendy wandered over to me, and after sparing a quick look to the books at my feet, looked back to my pale face. _What was that? What the heck was that!? I-am I losing my sanity? A-am I-have I snapped?_

"I-I… I don't know. Heh, ah, I… I really don't know." Pulling myself back up, I clutched my heart under my vest and shirt, feeling the booming through my ribs. It was beating so loudly, ever since I entered the studio. Now, I didn't think it had slowed down since. "B-Bendy, could you… find the two other books?"

"Sure. Just try and get your head screwed back on, okay? I don't need you losing your marbles already." Bendy moved on past me, but not before latching onto my right wrist. He guided me back into the center of the room, moving the chair by the table out from under the chandelier before forcing me down in it. "Stay." He backed up, still keeping an eye on me before going off in search for the final two books. The passageway opened up not a few seconds afterwards, and I stared at the dark abyss ahead. _Deep breathes, Kate. You… you're not losing your mind. You're fine. You're… fine._

And, I wasn't sure if it was the hallucination, but… did those ink statues vanish…?

 _Wh-what is this studio doing to me? First it was the fall in the occult room with the circle and coffins, and now this? Wh-what's happening to me?_ A boardwalk lined the edges of a never-ending cavern, with empty cages swinging on chains above it. Pipes filled with ink leaked out into the pit below, and leaving stains along our path. Bendy and me looked around, before moving on to the right. "Now then, you better listen up here. What I'm 'bout to show ya is probably gonna save your skin down the road. So! Pay attention."

Bendy moved over to a machine that I hadn't seen around the studio before once we ran out of wooden walkway. He didn't even spare a glance at the cavern path behind him. "This here's a machine from Gent. You've probably seen that name a few times around the workshop, right?" I had. I just never gave a second thought to it. "You spin this here dial on the side until the item you need appears, deposit some ink here in the drop area, and then crank that lever on the other side." He held out his arm, and wiped the backside of his glove along it. Ink fell off of it freely, gathering into a clump inside. "I've got enough ink on me to give you a small example on how it works, but if you plan on doin' this yourself when I ain't around, then you need to get ink from another resource." When he turned the dial, I got a glimpse of a radio symbol, making me faintly smile. That would have been number four since I came here. It would be nice to give it a test run, and see what came out of it, but things were serious now. No more fooling around. No more games. _I can't erase the mistakes Joey had made to the people of the studio, but I sure as heck can try and make things right._

And that was going to start by getting my friend back. "Okay. I didn't plan on you sticking with me the entire time anyway." Bendy moved to the crank, and I silently giggled as he struggled to rotate; feet lifting partially off the ground each time he made a complete turn. After three rotations, the machine, right at the base where an opening I hadn't noticed before, spat out a cog wheel. The metal piece spun around a few times before resting in place. "Neat." Picking it up, I went to position it on the lift behind me. "Here we go."

Pulling the lever, the wooden box on the other side of the drop began to come across. "Is there… a safer way to get across?" I asked, once the lift reached us. Four cables were attached to each corner, and fed up to a single cable that went from one side of the rock wall to the other. "I-I'm not sure how well I should trust this thing."

"Well, there's always my way around, but you can't really travel through ink, can you?" Bendy climbed in first, turning around to smirk at me. "Comin'?"

Out of a lot of things I had done so far, this was high on the list of things that would give me a heart attack. Death by angel or inky demon would be pretty gruesome, but on the other hand, plummeting to my doom over an abyss where I couldn't see the bottom wasn't great either. I sat in the crate, holding the sides with both hands while Bendy stood at the front. He kept one hand on a cable, keeping his balance. His floating head swiveled around to check on me, and when he saw my head down, and eyes tightly closed, he chuckled. _That was a mocking chuckle, wasn't it? He thinks this is funny._

"Relax, doll. There's nothin' to worry about. This thing here's stable. Alright? You aren't gonna f-"

The ride came to a sudden and unstable halt as the wire holding us began to tremble. Even Bendy looked startled at the action, clutching his support with both hands while I gripped the box tighter. My knuckles were white from the grip, and I kept staring down at my lap. The box slammed roughly into the other side of the cavern as it started up again, and I climbed out on all fours, inching my way backwards from it until my back hit the cavern wall. "Wh-what just happened?" Th-there was nobody on the other side of the cave, so how the heck did that happen!?

"Heh… heh… hell if I know," Bendy panted, stepping out. We looked at the machine that ran the trolley on this side, but nothing seemed to be wrong with it. No smoking, or fire. Everything seemed to be as it should be. "Hmm. Oh well. You fine, kid?" I nodded, still slumped against the rock and dirt. My chest still heaved up and down, sweat clinging to my brow. Bendy walked over to me, and his smile slackened, dropping to show concern. "Heh… take your time, kid. It's alright."

"But… but Boris-?" Bendy shook his head, and went to sit down beside me. My legs were curled up to my body, while he had his stretched out, moving his shoes left and right.

"We'll get to him. Don't worry. But no matter what state we find him in, he won't be happy seein' you like that, would he?" I exhaled softly in a small mute laugh, and found my head dropping to the side, resting atop the demon's horned head. Bendy stiffened, but didn't back away as I closed my eyes.

"Just… few minutes." A hand patted my knee, followed by a laugh. No mocking tone, or full of hatred. But a genuine, warmhearted laugh.

"Kid, I hope you know what you're gettin' into here. It's gonna be a long shot takin' him back. Even… even after seein' what she's done to all of the others. Man, some help I was. A whole lot more braver than I ever was." His laughter died out, and with a final small sigh nestled into my side.

"... n-no." I shook my head so faintly, he would have missed it had it not been resting against him. "You've been stuck... longer than I ever was. D... don't be scared, Be... Bendy. Don't... be afraid. W... get out... together."

"... heh... hehe... hehehe..." two small arms wrapped around me, and watery trails of ink began to drip down on my vest. I slid my arm around the demon, pulling him closer, and patting his back. Despite my drained state, eyes closed... I knew my words meant the world to him. We were getting out of this place. Together. No matter what.

"Th-thank you... Katherine. Th-thank you."

* * *

 **Well, that's that. I honestly could keep going, but that's not the theme of Bending Reality. Compared to a lot of my stories, these chapters are kept short. However, probably in chapter 5 of Bendy will I finally write larger chapters. You know, getting into the 4000 word count.**

 **Anyways, until next time, everyone! We're back into high gear!**

 **Angel**


	18. We Are the Lost Ones

**Disclaimer: To celebrate the release of our first glimpse of chapter 5 on YouTube, here's the next chapter of Bending! And also for reaching over 150 favorites!**

 **PoisonCupcake101: Out of curiosity, have you played the game or seen someone play it before? Doing so might help make things easier to understand. There's a reason for that; her dedication to saving Boris. It's just like Henry himself in the video game too. Boris was the first one to show him/Kate kindness. Giving us a safe place to rest, giving us a weapon, and assisting us in our journey around the floors before meeting Alice. Especially for Kate, he is the only nice person she could find in a moment of darkness and horror. Henry's goal of chapter 4 is to save Boris, but... we all saw how that ending turned out in the end. Kate's goal is to save him, and anyone else she can find in the studio. Like Bendy, for example. She didn't grow as close to the other toons like she did to that one Boris. For that, he holds a special place in her heart. She doesn't like what happened to the other Boris', but if she is able to save her friend who is one of the many, then she'll do it.**

 **Hourglass Cipher: That's the question, isn't it? We won't know if the ending is a happy one or not until chapter 5 comes out. For now, there's already an idea I have in mind. And... it won't be a pretty one.**

 **RainbowCelin: That fight was easy. Monster Boris... not so much. I had to turn in to get ready for work just as I reached him. Plus, since I was playing that chapter out of order, I couldn't save. Odd... the saving system in the game is sort of messed up. It erased a good chunk of my progress in chapter 3.**

 **Tazmanializard: I dunno on the first thing. I actually died at our first monster encounter in chapter 3 because we moved so freakin' slow now. I think in that quote that you mention, she's meaning that there's no demon to kill the monster hunting him this time, and no escape from Boris. Henry's trapped inside the room, and she doesn't plan on letting him out. Also, I am highly certain that Joey isn't the ink machine.**

 **Crystalmoon39: Thank you!**

 **TazmaniaLizard (again?): You have an account? Or, is this someone else entirely? Anyways, yeah, that was the goal for this chapter. Not so much mystery and horror, as it was trying to build on Bendy and Kate's friendship.**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

" **Reading** "

* * *

"... HOLY!"

After waking up from a quick ten minute rest, I wouldn't have expected anything else to happen right away. Being cursed with whatever n... nightmare I saw back in the archives, and then almost falling to my death over an endless black abyss. Opening the door beside us that lead into a long, extremely enclosed hallway, I felt a nudge as Bendy moved past me to take the lead again.

So, I should have expected nothing to occur, right? Right!?

WRONG!

Clinging to the cartoon's shoulders and pulling against me as a short and inky shield, I watched as the same orange lights bounced in my eyes and the walls shook around us. But if that was it, if... if all it was I was seeing was flashing lights and the world spinning around me, I would... I would have been fine. Yet... yet seeing dozens of inky arms stretch out of the walls ahead and around me, grabbing at the air for something, or someone... I was truly screaming at that point. "AAAHHHH!"

"Kate! Kate, snap outta it!" A quick sharp pain radiating from my cheek, and I blinked rapidly in surprise as my shrieking slammed to a halt. The arms were gone, and Bendy had wrenched himself out of my grasp. Breathing deeply to correct my hoarse throat, my brain kicked in as to what had 'snapped me out of it'.

"You... you slapped me! Again!" I finally exclaimed, rubbing my left cheek. _That's gonna leave a mark._ _Is this his way of communication?_ Bendy nodded as if he was talking to a child, holding his hands behind him and rocking on his heels.

"Well, what did ya think I was gonna do to get ya to come back to your senses?" He sighed, and turned around to the exit of the tunnel. There, far ahead of us, we could see the ink machine continue its descent deeper into the studio. "It ain't over... not yet. Keep your head screwed on and follow me."

It was very similar to the previous pit with rickety wooden walkways going higher and higher along the edges, but this area had mysterious doors opening into the pit from unreachable ends, and the four black chains traversing up and down in front of me. Plus, to my relief, there were no more evil carts travelling from one side of the wall to the other. No plummeting to my death. "Hmmm..."

"I see you there, my little errand girl." I froze, deer in the headlights, as Bendy dropped into ink puddle form beside me instinctively. _See me-where!? Where are you even watching me!? Did you see Bendy!?_ Alice's voice came from above me, but where... I-I didn't know. I sounded like she was everywhere, from some speaker system I couldn't pinpoint. "Your angel is always watching. What is it that keeps you going?"

My determination to save Boris, of course. Despite him only being a clone of many others, he was my first real experience of kindness in the studio. He was a sweetheart, and was ready to help me even when I didn't need ask for it. He was going to gain his freedom, and so was Bendy. "Is it the thrill of the hunt? The thirst for your freedom? Or perhaps... you're just looking for a little, friendly, wolf..."

"I swear, Alice, if you've laid one finger on his head...!" I growled out, marching up the stairway in continuous loops. My dress shoes stomped off the filthy wood, joining in the sound of ink pouring out of the large pipes in the walls, and the grinding of the chains in the center of the pit.

Alice's sickly sweet giggles answered me. "Better hurry errand girl. Boris is having trouble staying in one piece." She reminded silent for a moment, and if she chose to end it there, I would have been fine-okay, not fine exactly. I would have had my rage over whatever she planned to do with Boris. To dissect him, and remove his organs just like all the other Boris' I saw. From the ones in her domain, to the one I first saw when I entered Joey Drew Studios. It was the last thing she said, just seconds after that, that filled me with even more worry, even more anxiety. "Oh. And tell your... **friend** there, that I won't be too kind in taking down his windows again. After all, the Ink Demon shouldn't be able to see everything that goes on in here. We certainly don't need him having more wandering eyes then he already has." The voice left me alone for good, and by the time I reached the top, Bendy slow rose up to greet me. His grin was forced, with anger and faint panic written on it.

There weren't... any words I could respond with. Alice... she knew he was with me all this time. Ever since... ever since the errands above in the toy shop, she knew. She **knew** Bendy was following me from the start, and when he decided to announce his presence to me. What did this mean for me now? What did this mean for Bendy? Is he in trouble now too? Did she think that Bendy was the actual Ink Demon running around? "Ah! What else could possibly go wro-?"

"He always finds me... oh no... I just want to go home..." I looked upwards as we entered a rest area filled with comfy couches, and a record player currently in use with a candle beside it. The haunting music floated through the air, creating an atmosphere that I really didn't like. Not evil, or dangerous, but... sad, and filled with despair. There, above our heads in another floor with a balcony that overlooked us, was... something that bore a striking resemblance to what Sammy was. Its limbs were thin and scrawny, unlike his, and was dripping black ink almost like the searchers. Glowing orange eyes looked around anxiously, searching for something that wasn't there. "When do we go home...? When do we go home!?" Its voice rose at the end, and it moved on out of my eyesight to the left.

"B-Bendy, what was... that?" I spoke, finding my own voice again.

"Kid... you really don't wanna know. But... you should already have a good idea."

The workers. He meant... the workers. Other people who worked in the studio, possibly not as important as Wally, or Grant, or Sammy and Susie, but still. Workers that fell under Joey's thump. Workers who... were changed by the machine, just as everyone else was. I moved on, slowly, and paused at the door in front of me. _I... I think I know what I'm about to see..._

And I was... right. How I wished I wasn't, but it was the truth. The terrifying, unforgivable truth. At least two dozen of the inky beings were gathered in the small room, with a dripping ceiling in the middle. All glowing eyes trained on me the moment I stepped in. Bendy had up and went, leaving me to the traitorous actions their boss had done to them. There were bars on the walls on a few sides, with a couple hiding behind them. _Or... trapped. They're all trapped in here._ Lost... lost souls. Lost ones, that were captured before they even knew what was happening. They were all standing or crouching, watching as I circumnavigated the tight space to the opposite side.

" **He will set us free. No angels!** " Just like me, it would seem Alice wasn't welcoming others either. I hesitated at the open vent grate, hearing a soft sobbing. Looking around to the left, I frowned as a small ink creature was curled up in the corner, surrounded by boxes and the joint in the walls. Its pitiful whimpering echoed off the walls, melding with the sounds from the others behind me.

"Oh boy..." I wanted to continue onward, but... it seemed wrong to just leave them there. "H-hey... listen, I don't know if you can here me, or... understand me. But I just want you to know, same as everyone else. I'll-I'll try and get you, and everyone else out of this mess." The dripping head lifted up, and their glowing eyes met sad brown ones. Their head bobbed slowly, up and down, and I could hear the mumbled voices of the rest of them at my words. It was like Norman; they understood my words, but couldn't respond verbally.

"Good luck." I moved to the vent, and scooped up the old flashlight perched on the edge. Clicking it on, I gave the group one last look, one last sad yet reassuring smile, and entered the dark tunnel. I had no clue where Bendy went, but I could understand him not wanting to be back there with me. A faint light came from a partially opened grate at the far end, so I chose to drift towards that. Not like there was any other option, as the path was only straight at the moment, and didn't branch off anywhere.

A Bendy cutout was visible on the other side, and the metal creaked under my weight. _I am so claustrophobic right now,_ I thought with a tight frown. A standee, and a drawing desk, and-"OH CRAP!" Inky, having sprung up from the other side of the grate just as I got close enough, slammed his hands above the metal frame, and ink began to flow down around the room and shield off any other light. Breathing deeply, I inched back in the vent, keeping a firm grip on the flashlight in case I needed a weapon. There was no hiding spots in this place, and no sound escape routes. I-I was trapped. _He has me pinned...!_

Inky knelt down on his side, staring at me behind the river of black covering his eyes while keeping a hold of one of the bars of the grate. With an almost whistling noise, he brought his ungloved hand to his permanent grin, and... hushed me? _Is he telling me to be quiet? Wh-what could the demon possibly be warning ME about? Alice?_ Straightening up again, he gave me one final look before removing his hand and walking on towards a wall outside of my line of sight, possibly to head to whatever area he saw fit next to see.

"... what... the heck?" The black tar squelched under my fingers and knees, before it finally vanished as Inky left completely. Inky... didn't attack. Wh-what was that all about? "Where... where's B... Ben-?"

"You rang?"

"Gah!" I swung my flashlight behind me, earning an indignant squawk from the smaller demon. I didn't make contact with his head, but I really wished I had. _I so have to make us even for hitting me two times._ "Where were you? What, you just decided to leave me here with tall, dark, and inky?"

"I told ya I can't be with ya all the time, remember? Or did all those shots to your head screw somethin' up?" He gave a small grunt as he shoved past me, and ripped the light out of my hand. "C'mon. I'll show ya the right path. Don't need you gettin' lost more than you already are. Boris only has so much time."

The grim reminder snapped me back to my current mission, and with a sigh, I crawled after him. To the left of where Inky had startled me, then to the right. To the right again, and to the left again. "Hey... wh-what's making that noise?" A repeated thumping echoed from somewhere in the vents, making me wonder if it was the Ink Demon again.

"Just another of those lost ones, kid. No need to fuss over it," came the short and quick reply. To the left, and to the first turn on the right instead of the one at the far end. As Bendy turned a right, and I could see the exit over his shoulder, I finally decided to voice another question. This one should get an answer, at least one that couldn't be dodged so easily.

"So... where exactly are we headed?" Dropping the light on the floor outside, we climbed out of the vent. It was a fairly simple layout. A large stone Bendy on our right across from some benches, the occasional wooden box, seat, Bendy standee, and hiding box. What was interesting was the flight of stairs at the far end, leading up to a small floor above us.

"Y'see, Joey had an idea 'bout makin' a theme park around yours truly." Bendy began to head towards the stairs, and I walked on in his footsteps. "However, as you might've already guessed, he... had a problem givin' others their due. He took credit for everything his workers did. Ideas, voice talent; you name it, he took it. " **Dreams come true** " was written over the entrance of the vent, and I focused my eyes back on what was in front of me. " **Come up and see me. Almost there.** " Who wrote those? "This here was his workstation. The guy who created the park made all of his prints, design notes, right in here." Sketches upon sketches of concepts I could've even dream of covered the three bulletin boards, with miniature models set up on a display board on the table. A recorder sat on the edge of it, and Bendy pressed play.

" **For forty years, I've built attractions that stagger the imagination! Colossal wonders such as the world has never seen! I have earned my legacy with sweat.**

 **But** **right in front of everyone... high level investors. Wall Street tycoons.** **T** **he ever-tactless Joey Drew introduces me, the great Bertrum Piedmont, as Bertie! Like I was his... child!**

 **You may be paying me, Mister Drew,** **b** **ut you don't own me! I'll build you a park bigger than anything YOU could ever possibly conceive! But before you go taking any bows, Mister Drew, know that this grand achievement will belong to me... and to me alone.** "

I lifted my head, hearing the tape end just as Bendy flipped a power switch across from the table from where I stood. His perma-grin was... cruel. This time, filled with knowledge that I was still unaware of myself. How the same face could create, and hide, so many tales was beyond me. Heck, even those pie-shaped eyes seemed to hold so many hurtful secrets. What... what did this cartoon see? What had happened to Bendy to turn him from a happy toon to someone so cynical?

 _But... but I wanna know,_ I mentally reminded myself. I wanted to know. I wanted to know what the cartoon demon was hiding, and what was doing this-changing and torturing the workers of Joey Drew Studios, into monsters. Chest rising and falling in a steady beat, I spared a quick glance at my arms. Ink stained to the point my pale skin was unrecognizable, patches of purple bruises visible around my elbows, and my wrists hurt to the point they could possibly be broken. I was hurt physically, but my mind kept pushing past that. I could feel it, yes, but I had so much more on my mind now.

Bendy couldn't keep jumping around the truths of the studio forever. He would have to slip eventually, or I would find the answers myself in my search for my friend. For Boris. With deep breathes that shook my shoulders, trying to steady my growing nerves for everything that had happened to me so far in the past few days-since it was clear by now with how many times I had passed out I was trapped for a long time-I rested my hands on the table beside the recorder. With more force than necessary, I created a slightly loud thump off the old wood.

"Alright, Bendy. You got me here. I don't know why this place wanted my dad back here, but I'm here in his place I want answers, and I plan on getting them. Why the studio is like it is now, why he was invited back, and why the workers are being changed into cartoons and twisted abominations. One way, or another, I need to know what went wrong.. So let's get this show on the road, and tell me what I'm about to head into to get my friend back."

Bendy's odd black curve above his face where his horns were rose in surprise, and he gave a pleased laugh. "Nice to see you're finally seein' things in the right light. Okay, kid. Hang onto your mini Boris, because you're 'bout to get into one distorted and crooked world." His hand came out from behind him, and I found a small black object come flying at me. My hands quickly caught it, and I stared at the same Boris plush that I took back in the toy factory above to replace the Bendy plush. _He... he kept it for me?_ My face lit up in a small, grateful smile, and I stuck it back in my vest pocket. He didn't have to, but he did. He kept something that gave me a feeling of safety and familiarity. _After all, the Bendy plush and this one are like the ones I have at home along with Alice._ Patting its head for confirmation that my little buddy really was back, Bendy waltzed back over to me, and took my other hand in his four fingered one. "C'mon, Katherine."

I... I really didn't imagine that earlier. When I drifted off beside him, I actually heard him call me that. Katherine. Heh... no one's called me that in years. Not my teachers, or friends. Only... only my mom called me that, but... that was so long ago. It was... I liked it. Having someone call me such an old name that I hadn't heard in over a decade.

And... and if he wanted to call me Katherine, then who was I to stop him?

* * *

 **This chapter took me a while with me having tons of work and any free time being dedicated to other events. Which... makes me feel even more awkward to my other stories. Err...**

 **The next chapter might take a while too. I have two night shifts coming up, so that will throw my sleeping pattern in a loop. However, I should have one ready over the weekend... I hope. Also, if you haven't seen it yet, check out the production trailer for chapter 5. I am so pumped for this! Sad, since the game is almost to an end, but still pretty excited!**

 **Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	19. Game Time

**Disclaimer: Welcome back to a brand new chapter!**

 **RainbowCelin (twice): I was pretty confused when I read that first review. How could you have been distracted enough to write my name instead of yours?**

 **TazmaniaLizard: Who knows? I don't know about the windows. There aren't as many Alice cutouts as there are Bendy cutouts.**

 **RainFlight31039: True, but it creates a lot more mystery and suspense.**

 **DannyPhantom619: It's because it's her a name she hasn't heard in over ten years. Plus, having it come from her childhood hero does make it sort of special.**

 **Hourglass Cipher: We'll just have to wait for the ending now, won't we? I'm definitely looking forward to it.**

 **Springtime Bonnie: It was a little annoying to call the Ink Demon and small Bendy both Bendy. So we're calling the monster Inky instead. I figured it was a safer and suitable word choice.**

 **You know Kate is mine, and Bendy isn't.**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

" **Reading** "

* * *

"You don't swear that often, do ya?" I threw a questionable look at Bendy as I hopped down the last few stairs, and shrugged. _Well, that's a random question._

"Not really. Inky just... surprised me. Plus, being in such a confined space threw all of my escape options out of the window." Choosing to climb over the small railing to access the opened storage room, I waited as Bendy took the small flight of stairs beside it like any normal person... demon, would. With a sigh and a shake of his head at my antics, Bendy stepped ahead of me as we entered. It was pitch black, with zero light to let us see what was even in front of our faces, until the sound of a generator kicked into gear.

"Welcome kid... to Bendy Land." _More like Bendy Hell,_ I thought, seeing the black ink scrawled over the second part of the name. The large sign hung over the storage room, with yellow lights strung about over the area, giving it the same eerie feeling that followed me around since minute one. Another lost soul sat atop an empty cage below, watching us with those haunting eyes. "Just ignore 'em."

Taking my hand, he led me down the stairs to the side, as I tried to take in everything at once. He was right. I-I had to keep my head straight. Pitying for those people trapped wouldn't do me any good until I figured out what the reason was for... everything. What I found out, what I had learned during my time on the very first floor was that missing a detail could mean life and death. The more I could learn, the better. And... for Boris' sake, I had to learn how to reach wherever he was captive. Any tricks, or puzzles, I had to master.

"Punching in," I mumbled, using the machine at the foot of the stairs before Bendy could drag me further. A giant cutout Bendy head was mounted above a sealed metal door located right at the bottom, its destination currently unknown to me, and towering shelves created a maze around us. Stacked bags of sand or dirt were placed around the floor, with half a dozen garbage cans with Bendy's head mounted on the top, mouth being the opening for trash to be thrown in. _That's... a little creepy._

"There aren't that many games in here," Bendy continued, leading me to the back of the room. He paused in front of a strength testing game, and let go of my hand. "Unfortunately for us, one of the geniuses here got it in his head to make things difficult for the others. If you wanna move forward, you gotta play the games to access new areas. There's switches in the rooms branching off from here, and they're the key to gettin' along." He pointed away from us to the right, and I could see a panel with four unblinking lights on it, right above four switches. "Gotta say," he added with a chuckle, "it's a pretty funny image, thinkin' 'bout how frustrated those fellas got over not gettin' in at the start. So, ya got it?"

I grabbed the mallet off the floor, testing its weight before flashing him a grin. Lifting over my head, I brought it down on the machine and sent the bell ringing. "Crystal."

"Tell me, are you two having fun? I'm sure Boris doesn't mind waiting for his rescue party." Bendy and me looked above our heads, scowling at wherever Alice was.

"Ignoring her," I grumbled, dropping the hammer with a thud. Trudging over to the two other games set up, I gave an annoyed sigh. "Perfect. Games that involve aim." The one on the left was a shooting game, with some targets with an inky X on them and a pea shooter at the ready. The other was a bottle toss game with a stack of three baseballs on the counter. _Another_ _recorder._

" **These guys down in the warehouse get to play games all day while I'm stuck cleaning up after 'em! They kept locking themselves out of their own back room. So I says to 'em, 'look guys', I says, 'you're smart, right? Here's an idea!**

 **Why not rig these games up to knock open the door if ya win? It'll be fun for you guys, and it saves me the trip down here every day.' They went for it like a dog to pot roast. I tell ya! If these guys don't start realizing who the real genius is, I'm outta here!** "

"Wow," I said, "Wally's a lot more clever than I thought he was." Bendy nodded, and moved over to the gun. "How should we do this?"

"Given your lack of speed, toots, I figured you'd be best at that." He cocked the gun, and the moment he held it up, the game kicked into gear. Either the gun had a trigger for it to start, or there was a sensor I didn't see. Regardless of his height, Bendy managed to keep up with the goal. The little cartoon running man dashed up the score board behind the targets, set in between a stuffed Boris and Bendy. His hands slipped once, missing two, but the cheerful music died down with a triumphant ringing bell. "That's how ya do it." He sat it down, and grinned cheekily at me. "Your turn."

"Show off." Taking the baseballs, I balanced two in my left hand, while tossed the third in my dominant hand. "One... two...!" Chucking it as hard as my thin arms would allow it, I sent the stack of milk bottles flying. "Ha ha!" Putting another ball in her right hand, she followed through with the action again. And then again, sending all bottles onto the floor behind the counter. "Easy as pie!"

Bendy shook his head, and turned to the grinding sound of metal to the left of us. The door from before that we saw as we entered the storage room had opened; the one that had the giant Bendy had above it. "Ladies first." Rolling my eyes, I smacked the little devil darlin' on the head as I passed him. Hearing a soft grumbling in response, I turned the small corner inside. All I found was a shelf with a few ink cans, a small lit candle on a work table, and a chair.

And... three nightmare worthy Bendy puppets, with ink spillage around their mouths. Almost as if... they had bitten off more than they could chew. "That's... gonna haunt me for a while. Really. They will."

"Yeah, yeah. Get over it and pull the switch, kid." Throwing a look at Bendy, who was rubbing the back of his head, I flipped the handle across from the creepy trio. Exiting the room, I saw faint yellow lights emit from the power cord leading to the room feed over to the control panel I saw earlier. "C'mon."

The demon beat me to the spot, and yanked down on the first of the four, finding the light glowing. "Alright, so that's one done. Where does that lead us now?" He spun around, and immediately backtracked.

"Research and design. Best to let ya know now, but like before, there's gonna be a lot o' back and forth happenin'," Bendy replied. "The only way to get where we wanna go is by accessin' the haunted house. The mechanics of the ride lead deeper to areas we can't reach here. Those switches we're triggerin' will open the path for us." Walking past the hammer game to the newly opened area, I stared down from a balcony circling the entire room. A giant Bendy arm hung from the ceiling on black chains, while the annoyance that was the Butcher Gang hung out below, warming themselves by an oil drum ablaze.

"Hmm... guessing those two hallways on either side are the way to go. But... I've got no weapons anymore." A can of bacon soup, empty with the lid cracked open, sat on the railing. "I... wonder..." taking it in my hand, I looked below me and dropped it. The hollow sound reverberated around the room, and the monsters left their post and went to search for what made the noise. "Uh-huh."

"You really better be uppin' your aim now, kid," Bendy warned. He had hopped up to lean over the edge with me, using his arms to keep himself up while his legs swung freely in the air. I would've laughed at how ridiculous he looked, but I'd rather not risk myself getting attacked by the Butcher Gang, or slapped by Bendy... again.

A waterfall of ink ran into a pool on the far side of where we stood, and keeping a steady eye on the happenings below, I traversed towards the stairs. Snatching up four cans for ammo, I stood halfway down and took aim. With a quiet sound of me gathering momentum to gain distance, I watched the bacon soup sail towards the far right corner of the bottom level. Up above, Bendy sat on a barrel, watching. His dress shoes shone in the faint light, and his head was tilted in observance.

The Butcher Gang, hearing the echoing sound, abandoned their spot and moved away. _Go time,_ I internally commanded. I flipped over the railing once again, landing not-so gently on the floor as I booked it down the left wing. Once I turned the corner inside, I skid to a stop at the hopeless sobbing.

It was another one. Another worker. Their form was hunched up in a ball, crying underneath a metal covering in the wall for gear pieces. However, unlike the ones I had seen before, the person was stuck on the other side of a fence. I hesitated in my walking, giving them a pitiful look before moving on. I-I couldn't do anything. Not yet, anyway.

The end of the hall lead into a room with a Gent machine, two... duck heads on a work table with one of them not even painted, an animatronic Bendy on the right on a table all its own, and a table on the left closest to me with a toolbox and a recorder. " **The creator lied to us.** " Yeah, that seemed to be the most common message in the studio. The inky sprawl was on the opposite side of the room, right next to the robot. Laying down the cans beside the recording and taking a seat on one of the three stools in front of the tables, I pressed play.

" **The only thing that works around here is my ulcer. Half these people don't know a wrench from a dang steamroller! Buncha morons is what they are. Spend their day in the warehouse arguin' over who's supposed to be doin' what or playing them silly games.**

 **Still, I'm not complain'. I get most of my time to myself. Suits me just fine. Only thing that bothers me is that mechanical demon in the corner.** " I spared a quick look at the robot Bendy, and raised a brow. Its... one of its arms was missing. Should... should I show concern about that? " **Bertrum's been working on it for a month now. Says it will work someday and maybe dance. All it does now is give me the creeps. I swear, when my back's turned... that thing's movin'.** "

It's... moving? "Oh great, it's Five Nights at Crazy Land all over again," I complained with a groan. Sliding off the stool, I turned on the switch beside me. "That's two. Now, before we go... best check that other hallway." Gathering my bacon soup, I walked back past the sobbing inky person, and pressed my back against the wall. The Butcher Gang was already back in place. And Bendy, still refusing to act violent against my aggressors and choosing to watch how I fared, stared down at me from the railing.

Sticking my tongue out at him, which only got me an 'innocent' head tilt, I tossed a can towards the stairs. Once the path was cleared, I ran to the right of the bottom floor, and around the small corner. "And another one down." _Wonder why there's two of them down here,_ I thought, lowering the lever.

"Well, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Sneaking to the stairs after throwing a can towards the left hallway, I waltzed over to Bendy. The cans were set down on the floor beside me, no longer having any use for me. "You already got half of 'em switches dealt with."

"Yeah?" I breathed. I wasn't exactly out of breath, but... part of me kept holding it in every time I ran past the monsters on the lower half of the room. Out of fear I'd get caught, and... slaughtered... with Bendy watching. "Hey... um, wh-what else am I going to have to deal with for those last two?"

Bendy chuckled, patting my shoulder as he hopped off his seat and headed out of the room. "Nothin' too big of a concern. I'll give ya a hand on the next one, huh? Hold up my end of sayin' I wouldn't let you go in alone."

"Heh. I'll hold you to that, Bendy. Honestly... I have a feeling things are gonna go downhill soon. Just-it's almost like I've been here for who knows how long now. I've dealt with so much, and still haven't figured out most of what the heck's going on in this place." I sighed, and trudged back through the door into the storage room. Bendy hung back for a few seconds, before the sound of his light footsteps caught up to me.

"Aw, don't be like that, kid! Your hunch could be right," he replied almost nonchalantly. "Or, y'know, it could be a walk in the park. Who knows?" _Yeah. Who... knows. Oh, dad... please, wait for me._ I would get of this nightmare. No matter what.

And no murderous angel or obsessive Ink Demon would stop me.

* * *

 **This wasn't a longer chapter like the last two, but there's a good reason for it. I plan on having the next chapter be the last 2 switches. And, for anyone who's seen chapter 4 already, know that has a lot going on in order to get them. Especially that last one.**

 **With the last switches in one chapter, I suppose... there's only 2-3 chapters left before we go back into hiatus. Shame. However, considering I went back and redid all of the old chapters, I think I did a ton with what I got.**

 **Did you know that all of chapter 5's achievements are already out? I really wanna play this last chapter, I do, but I hope they don't rush it. Especially since... chapter 5 comes out in October! Meatly posted a video about how the mobile game comes out August, and the end of Bendy comes out a few months after. The Last Reel, they're calling it. It's also being released on Switch, Xbox, and ps4.**

 **One more thing. I've been thinking ahead to my future stories; sequels, rewrites, and the like. I'm always planning on what to do next. One sequel happens to be for my Cuphead story. Just for anyone who's interested... there's a very strong chance of Kate making an appearance, and will carry on where I will end this story here along with where I ended the other one. I have no clue how chapter 5 of the gamewill go, but if my idea does match up with what happens-at least as close as it could be with the changes I made-then a few other characters will appear too. I won't be starting that until next year, but Kate's story will continue in that if anyone's interested.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	20. An Inky Vengeance

**Disclaimer: Alright, everyone. Sorry for the wait. I've had a lot going on... and I got distracted by movies and Breath of the Wild. The game sucked me in, and I couldn't stop playing. Anyways, this is the second to last chapter before we go back into hiatus. This one... this was a really interesting chapter to write.**

 **RainbowCelin (twice): Before Cuphead starts again, it will be rewritten just as many other stories of mine. I want to make sure it's as perfect as it can be. Now the only question that remains is... who is the Ink Demon? And in regards to my own story... who is Bendy?**

 **Hourglass Cipher: Really? I thought for sure the last two were pretty emotional. Just wait until the last chapter of the game's chapter 4. Hehe... yikes. You're not gonna like what I have in mind for that.**

 **TazmaniaLizard: No kidding. That boss wasn't exactly hard, but man! That face was messed up!**

 **ultima-owner: Why else would I have mentioned it at the end of the chapter? No point in me getting it for a console, since I have it on my laptop, but it's good news for everyone else.**

 **Masked Freak: Someone? No, not really. I just needed something else to call him so as to not get him confused with small Bendy. Someone in a previous chapter asked the same thing, and I responded to that in chapter 20's disclaimer.**

 **Josephine K K: So far? Technically, Cuphead is already over. We're just in sequel limbo right now. I have a great idea on how Kate and Nicky would interact, but that's a surprise for down the road. I never heard of Darq, but I do know about Little Nightmares. It's an interesting game that I've watched Markiplier play, but I don't really have any good ideas for that. Also, I'm glad you enjoyed the Jacksepticeye reference!**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

" **Reading** "

* * *

Bendy jumped up, pulling on the second switch of the control panel in front of us. I stood behind him, arms crossed and deep in thought. "That's two. You ready for the next one?" He turned around as his feet hit the floor, taking in my appearance.

"Well, it's not like I can say otherwise," I sighed. My gun-ho attitude had been slipping, and while my determination for freeing everyone was still as high as ever... I was tired. Tired, and injured. My arm still had the rag wrapped around it from the music department where the searcher attacked me, and it wouldn't be long from now that it would get infected. _Time to pick up the pace._ "Lead the way, Bendy."

Without another word, he headed back towards the entrance to Bendy Land, past the carousel horses lined up against a towering bookshelf and to the... attraction storage? "Keep your eyes ahead of you, kid." I could see why he would say that. A dead Butcher Gang member sat in the corner of the small room as the hallway twisted to the right. Ride carts were stacked on shelves behind me and beside it, with several large boxes and barrels and another image of Bendy holding a sign to keep on working. It didn't help that the light fixture the monster was propped up against was broken, flickering its yellow light along the walls and casting shadows on its lifeless face.

Turning to the right, we passed two Bendy cutouts and through one of the two doors standing side by side into a massive storage area. Boxes and tables lined the edges, with more broken pieces of machinery. But it was the center of the room that really caught my eye. How to explain it... it would have seemed to be like those rides with a central computer in the middle, with the arms that branched off and spun you around. I had seen something similar to that at an amusement park, and could recall the feeling of being shoved up against the vehicle's side as we kept taking sharp turned, being whirled about at a fast pace.

The same yellow decoration lights lined the walls higher up, with the same normal lighting at the bottom. Though... it did seem as if there was spotlights coming from above the attraction, and lit it up from there. More duck heads were stacked into shelves, and I could make out a ride poster on the wall behind the tiny bulbs about duck boats. "What's going on here?"

"You wanna get that third switch?" I nodded hesitantly, a foot behind me in a prepared flight position. Something seemed... off there. Bendy was almost on edge, black eyes darting from me to the tape recording on the work table ahead of us. "Then you best be gettin' ready."

"What do you-?"

" **The biggest park ever built, a centerfold of attractions.** " Bendy pressed play before I could finish, and as soon as he did... he vanished. The little demon melted into an ink puddle and slipped away, leaving me alone with whatever was about to happen. " **Each one, more grand than the one before it.** **It makes my eyes come to tears at the thought. But then... oh Mister Drew. For all your talk of dreams, you are the true architect behind so many nightmares.** " W-well, at least I could agree with him on one thing. We both despised Joey. " **I built this park. It was to be a masterpiece! My masterpiece!** "

An echoing slam came from behind me, and I spun around to see the doors were gated off. "Oh cr-Bendy!" Did he just ditch me in a fight!? " **And now you think you can just throw me out!? Trample me to the dust and forget me!?** " His voice rose in anger as the recorder played on, and I watched as a ring of lights lit up around the machine, at its top and its bottom. _Oh... sweet tea and biscuits._ Stepping back, I realized how painfully right my movement was in that split second. The four arms moved, gears grinding as they picked themselves off the ground. " **No! This is my park! My glory!** **You may think I've gone... but I'm still HERE!** "

The word was dragged out, and the arms slammed into the dirt. There were four carts attached to each arm, dangling and spinning. But... but what really terrified me, what really made me scream... was the humanoid face that stared blankly back at me as a hatch opened up in the middle of the ride's body. Dead eyes staring off in different directions, and a gaping mouth opening and closing.

The arms spun around, as did the body, showing off that face no matter where it went as all flaps had come undone. Screeching to a stop, the one closest to me rose up and crashed down on the table. The recorder was mangled metal scrap now, as was the table. But it did reveal one benefit. "The ax!" I almost cried out in relief. Snatching it up and gripping it for dear life, I steadied my footing for an opening to attack.

It was the arms that were my main target. Without them, the machine didn't have a form of attack. One of the arms sputtered, falling down off to my right. "Arrgh!" With a yell, I lunged forward and whacked at the gears holding the joints in place. Sliding underneath to get the two on the other side, I almost was struck in the back of my head as a spurt of freezing cold ink from one of the joints hit me in the face. Almost. With how much I had been drenched and dunked in the liquid, it was just a thicker version of water now. Deadly, yes. But I could handle it... somewhat.

"Whoa!" Throwing myself backwards, I avoided the arm as it broke off without warning, flying across the room in heaps of metal. Bertrum spun around wildly, sparks flying off the severed wires. "O-okay! You got this, Kate. Three more to go." The movements were the same. Avoid the spinning, and when one slammed to the ground as it short circuited, break off the joints and get the heck out of dodge. By the time I took down the third, and ending up almost getting a beam to my head, I could see the torrents of ink spray from him, and the steam fogging up around his head.

By the third arm, Bertrum's face seemed more angry. His mouth was snapping open and shut as if he was trying to shout at me, and I could see his eyebrows shift on the mechanical face. I-I didn't understand it though. Joey, he-he created the ink machine and brought cartoons to life. He turned the workers into monsters, corrupted Susie and Sammy, disfigured Norman to the point he wasn't even remotely human... how could he have done this to Bertrum? Turned a man... into this monstrosity?

Finally, with a strong strike, I broke off the last gear. Falling back on my rear as sparks flew overhead and the arm went flying off to the left, Bertrum spun around out of control. The loss of ink finally doing him in, as he no longer had anything else to prevent the vital fluid from spraying out. With a final hiss, everything shut down. Electricity, ink, and motion. The ride was once again out of commission. Bertrum's head was held high for just a second more, before dropping down in defeat. Mouth hanging open, and eyes unused once again. The hatches that revealed his face slowly closed... and it was all over.

The weapon fell from my hands in a clatter, and I shakily pulled myself to my feet. "I... I..." I couldn't speak. True, I had taken down so many corruptions in the studio, but this was much different. This was... was nothing like I had faced before.

The sound of a faint thrum of electricity came from my far right, and there in a corner beside the switch I had come for... "looks like you really took that fight well, huh, toots?" Bendy strolled over to me, surveying the destruction. "Not bad. Frankly, I'm surprised you're still standing-ow!"

I smacked him on the side of his head, sending the floating thing spinning a few times. _Yeah! See how you like it!_ "You jerk! You said we're in this together, and then you go ahead and ditch me in a fight!?" I went to hit him again, only for Bendy to catch my wrist that time.

"I can only help you so long as I ain't puttin' myself at risk. I already did enough by revealin' myself, and the angel now knows I'm playin' too. You think I want to get myself killed? You're expendable in this game, kid, according to every creature without a sane thought in their head. Like it or not, some other sucker will come here if this isn't put to rest **now**. It didn't matter who, but it's you. You're the one who came here, and you're the one who's got to play. Not me, not Boris, you."

His hand threw my wrist free, leaving it red from his string grip, and headed back the way we came from. "Now, c'mon. You just got the maintenance area to inspect and you're on your way to savin' your pal." I paused at his wording, choosing to head off to the unopened room while he went for the switch. As the metal doors opened, and the sound of his black dress shoes neared, I addressed him.

"He's your friend too, Bendy. You might not be as fond of Boris as I am since he's 'one of many', but you wouldn't be as insistent on helping me if you didn't feel the least bit worried for his safety too." Though... he could have just been easily helping me all due to a small concern for my well-being. The toon didn't have an automatic response, letting me progress in silent victory. The small toon was left far behind me, and I was perfectly fine with that. I didn't need him. I knew where I had to go, and what I had to do to get Boris back. And I would get him back.

"No matter what." Posters for a Bendy cartoon about a train covered the tiny room, with the word " **choo choo** " written several times in ink over the walls. Stepping over the risen part of the floor, where a metal door probably was at one point and making a right turn, I giggled at the next piece of merchandise. " **Ri** **d** **e the Buddy Boris Railway.** " That's just adorable! Boris had his own train ride!

"Alright, Kate. This shouldn't be too hard, huh? Just head down there and find... the...?" _Switch?_ The inky lake at the foot of the stairs that no doubt covered all of the room I was destined for lit up for the briefest of seconds in a yellow flickering light. The moment I saw it, my brain rebooted, sending me the signal of the one creature I had met in Joey Drew Studios who created such a result.

Norman.

"Oh, you have to be kidding me." Great. Just... great. Inhaling deeply, I readied myself. "Here we go again." The stairs creaked under me, and I saw Norman turn around the side of one of the two trains set up in the middle of the room. There was a higher ground, with a flight of stairs on the far side leading up to it. Crates lined the edges of the bottom part, and one train, the train he was walking past, was turned around to face the other side. The one directed at me had a silly cartoon face painted on the front.

"Now... how to do this?" I assumed, with the experience from before, following behind him out of his line of sight would be as good of an idea as any. Stepping down into the liquid, and having it reach halfway up to my knees, I waded around the room. Posters and empty shelves. Nothing too different, except for that... recording just past the other flight of stairs. "Wonder who this is."

" **I believe there's something special in all of us. With true inner strength, you can conquer even your biggest challenges. You just have to believe in yourself and remain honest, motivated, and above all, who you really are.** "

My opinion of Joey Drew was already rock bottom. Honestly, I didn't think there was any other possible way it could get lower. But... the recording didn't stop there. " **Okay, let's stop it right there. I can only do so many takes of this trash a day. And tell the guys in writing I want more use of the word dreaming in every message. Keep railing on that, get it? Dreaming! Dreaming! Dreaming! People just eat up that kind of slop. Hmm, what? It's still on? Well, turn it off, d-!** "

I slapped the stop button before Joey could get the swear out, and stumbled back. Joey... he really was a monster. Eyes darted around, spotting the ink light up at the end of the room as Norman neared, I ran through the ink to the switch just on the other side of the area. An ear piercing screech soon followed, and I yelped as the bright light of the Projectionist hit me. Legs failed me for a split second, until I scrambled backwards and up to the higher floor.

"No, no, no! Not yet!" I wasn't ready to die! Diving and letting my shoes slide out underneath me as I made the sharp turn at the top, I made an odd squeal-gasp of happiness at the sight of a switch. "Last one!" I threw myself into the hole in the wall, both dyed hands wrapping around the handle and bringing it down with my body. On command, the Projectionist and the lights of the room went off, with the exception of the floor lights I had seen everywhere I went.

The hum of machinery came from somewhere else in the theme park section of the studio, giving me the verification I had done my job. Not only that, but the monster had stopped chasing me, having descended back to the trains below.

"Ah... ah... ah... ah, screw my life. I hate this place." Sorry Boris and Bendy. Sorry dad. But I have given up on my love of animation, on the given fact of having my life on the line and almost being slashed and drowned to death on multiple occasions. _I'll still do artistic stuff, but cartoons? I am out!_

"Not to forget the cursed fact I had to go past him again to get back to the main room." Sneaking time. I crept down the stairs for hopefully the last time, keeping myself plastered to the wall until I was right at the foot. Peering around both sides, I took a deep breath... and booked it to the other side. The instant my right leg pushed me up out of the ink, Norman's howling shrieks filled my ears. I had no room for error, slipping, or making a fool of myself. I had zero escape route. He was fast, and would clearly catch me given the chance. But... if Norman was as determined as Inky...

I wrenched the hiding place's door open, threw myself hard against the backside, and slammed it shut. I hadn't had to use one since the toy factory. But right now, I prayed with all my heart that the same principle applied to the Projectionist. My legs were pressed up against my chest, and I wrapped my arms around them. Kneeling down into a ball on the seat, the slot in the door allowed what little light the monster created to seep in. I could hear flickering, and footsteps getting ever so closer.

Norman... Norman was clever. Clever, and... about to end my life. He wasn't fooled. He knew I was in there, and when he opened that door, I would become another victim to the studio. Another foolish person Joey Drew duped. _I'm so sorry, dad. I..._ _I_ _failed._ My eyes closed, face scrunched up, and just as long nails scratched against the wood... the ink came.

Norman roared as my vision flickered from bright to dark, and I could feel the ink creeping in from the hole and over the wooden safe haven. My grip on my legs slackened, and I straightened up ever so slightly to look out. Inky. The Ink Demon himself had arrived, and was landing punch after punch at Norman's head, denting his corrupted head. The Projectionist slashed out with his own claws, but the size different was too great. Inky towered at least a foot, maybe even more, over the old employee. Until, to my terror, Inky lifted Norman up off the ground by his head, letting the monster flail around in his grasp. My eyes flickered, mimicking the two times my mind started... and when I came to, Bendy had ripped Norman's head clean off. The body collapsed to the floor, ink spraying out from his neck as Inky tossed the projector at my door. The impact made me whimper, my voice lost in the moment.

Inky paused, and knelt down to peer at the box, almost... could he really see me? All this time, di-did he actually know I was hiding? The malicious grin was indifferent, but his head tilted to the side curiously. However, that was all he did in regards to me. Bending down, he grabbed one of the corpse's legs, and walked off down the hall, dragging what was left of Norman away.

The ink covered box and walls vanished, signalling their departure. With a shaky hand, I pushed the door open. A heavy trail of ink was laid out in front of me, and lead into the wall beside the hatch door I had entered earlier. And... Norman's head. It still sat on the floor, sprouting ink from where it attached to his body.

"Oh..." ever since I had arrived, I kept myself mostly composed. But... but now that Boris had been captured, Bendy continuing to give me mixed signals, Alice's continuous threats, my diminishing sanity... I had just witnessed a murder. An innocent man, corrupted by the ink... dismembered. Who cared if it was because he was trying to kill me. Norman didn't deserve that. Deep down, he probably knew that. In that last moment, h-he probably didn't even know who I was. Before, he was at such a difference of distance he didn't see a need to attack. He might have had enough time to process my familiar appearance to an old co-worker. But at that moment... he saw me as prey. Prey, just like Inky. But Inky didn't attack then.

I dropped to the floor, legs giving out in weakness. I buried my head in my arms, tears starting to drop down my face as I shook in silent sobs. Sobbing for my lost friend, for lost workers, for... me. I was lost within the studio, all because I had wanted to save my dad. Wh-why didn't I just call the police? If I had gone to the authorities, things would've been different. Safer. For everyone, right...?

"There ya are! Been wonderin' where you went off to... kid?" A gloved hand rested against my left cheek, the thumb brushing against a tear. "Hey, doll?" All he received in response was a sniffle, and another bout of shakes. The toon sighed, and I felt another hand on the other side of my head. "Shh... shh... it's okay, kid. It's okay. No need to be scared, alright?"

A watery and bitter laugh escaped me, making the cartoon lean back. "That's such a lie, Bendy. I-I've been terrified since I came in here, a-and now... I don't know what I'm supposed to feel. Wh-what am I supposed to be? Scared? Angry!?" I let myself look at him, seeing wide black eyes. Eyes that were just as shocked and alarmed as I was. "I'm angry at everyone. At Alice for taking my friend. At Joey for doing all of this!" I swung an arm out, gesturing to the stairs where Norman... "a-and... and you. I'm angry at you."

My voice finally died out, done with my emotional rant. Bendy continued to stare at me, but in my current state it was impossible to make sense of what he thought of me patronizing him. "I'm... you saw me as amusement. A-another idiot who got trapped in the studio. You... you don't care if I live or not. Either it's pity, or some other idea... I-I just want to go home, okay? Is that too much to ask?"

"Aw, kid." The dirt was shuffled in front of me, and I blearily looked up to see Bendy had gotten down on his knees. "Now listen. I... I ain't good at this sort of stuff, alright? You've been coped up in a place like this for so long, it... it does stuff to ya." He rubbed the back of his head, averting his gaze for a moment. When Bendy returned to look at me, he sighed. "You can think 'bout all the alternate choices 'bout gettin' that letter all ya want, but the point is you were the one to get it. And ya chose to come here. Whether it's fate, or the worst luck imaginable... heh, hell if I know. But what I do know is that you're tryin' your hardest to get us out of this place."

"But it's not enough," I whispered. "If it was, Boris and Norman-"

"Nothing would've changed, kiddo. No matter who filled the role of the sap to enter the studio, the same thing would've happened." Straightening up, he dusted the tiny rocks stuck on the dark skin of his knees. "Still, at least ya got Polk to experience some shred of humanity beforehand, right? Boris loved that, didn't he? Don't know if that actually makes a difference down here, but it shows you're havin' an affect on us. A good one." He held out his hand, waving his four fingers in a silent signal for me to grab hold. "You're almost there. So... are ya ready to get your pal back, and figure out the secret behind it all?"

Did he... mean that? _Mmm..._ I bit the inside of my cheek, looking down at my lap before sticking out my hand. I lifted my face, forcing an expression of determination. I was rocked, and my confidence was at an all-time low. But Bendy was right. I was so close, and I wasn't going to stop yet. Even... even if I risked my own life. "I'm ready, Bendy. Let's... let's go find our wolf." My fingers intertwined with his, and together, we headed back down the path. "Just hang on a little longer, Boris. We're almost there."

* * *

 **And there you have it! My plan is to get the next chapter out as fast as possible, if only to dedicate myself to my other writing projects. Rewrites, complete do-overs, hiatuses, and brand new stories in general. And, you know, any random ideas that pop up over the summer.**

 **Anyway, not much else to say here, except this is the largest chapter to date! Woo! Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	21. Old Dog and New Tricks

**Disclaimer: Welcome to the last chapter of chapter 4, everyone! This marks the start of the hiatus until chapter 5's release, and the start of a ton of revising on other stories.**

 **Masked Freak: I always respond to reviews. You don't have to apologize for anything. I wasn't angry, just explaining where the idea came from. All of the gamers I watch never referred to 'Bendy' as anything else, so I came up with the nickname.**

 **ultima-owner: You mean Bertrum? Yeah, it was definitely a shocker, but it was a really great fight. Really creepy, and unless you didn't get the ax right away, you'd be stuck running around for a while.**

 **Hourglass Cipher: I enjoy making readers feel feelings. No matter what story it is, as someone who's strong with empathy, it's a talent of mine.**

 **RainbowCelin: Probably should've let you known last chapter that those questions I asked you were rhetorical... I think that's the word. In terms of Inky, it's more on who he really is: a monster, or a corrupted human. As for Bendy, I directed that towards my story. How I included Bendy, and what his story is in the studio. I've already included all cartoons Meatly released in the flashback chapters.**

 **TazmaniaLizard: Warm bath? More like a sit down with a therapist. She's going to have nightmares about ink for weeks.**

 **I own Kate, and everything else is not mine!**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

" **Reading** "

* * *

The walk back to the control panel was tense. Bendy and me didn't talk to each other, but I was fine with that. We didn't have to speak. After all we had been through since he chose to stick next to me in, after finding me at the elevator unconscious, he had managed to snap some much needed common sense back into my head. Sure, he was a huge pain and I couldn't stand his attitude sometimes, but he was... I enjoyed his presence. Without Boris, who was still trapped with Alice, Bendy was the only sane person I could be with. The only other being who wouldn't kill me where I stood.

 _And he... he wouldn't kill me. He said so himself, remember?_ I pulled down the fourth switch, and looked to the demon himself. "Hey... wanna do the honors with me?" Bendy's brow rose in surprise, and with a stretched grin, grabbed the fifth handle with me. He was realistic, and yet those cartoon features were still there. His gloved hands brushed against mine, and even with how odd they appeared, they still felt like normal cloth. Just like Boris, he was a mirror image of what he was supposed to be.

The reminder made me tighten my hold, the motivation of my objective kicking back in stronger than ever. Together, we pulled it down, hearing the final door open up. I let go, heading off in its direction with the demon at my heels. "Ready for this, kid?" He asked as we entered the small new area. It wasn't a huge room, bearing a size similar to where those creepy puppets were stored. But what lacked in size was made up for what the space held in store. Several cartoon themed carts were on a track, with brick arching walls and an inky message that read " **turn back** " on the other side from us. The doors that opened up to the ride further down the track bore a skull with narrowed empty sockets, which... didn't really help the tense feeling still hanging in the air. Foreboding, really.

"... y-yeah. I'm ready." I sounded so unprepared in that reply. It didn't help that there was a creepy audio recording playing evil laughter in the background too. "So, we just... step inside?" I nudged the cart with my shoe, seeing a faint layer of dust on it.

"Yep. Got any other plans?" Bendy walked around it, and climbed in on the right side. He was still too short, barely letting his head come up over the safety bar. It would've been funny if I wasn't so stressed, tired, and angry. "C'mon."

"Coming, coming." The ride creaked under me as I took my seat beside him, and I lowered the bar over our laps. "Alright, Alice. Let's do this."

A giggle answered the statement, and with a jolt, the ride was set into motion. I unexpectedly gripped the bar, despite not being in danger yet. Just her voice alone was now enough to set me on edge. "As you wish. Now, the ride truly begins, Kate."

The skeleton doors swung open, letting us enter. Where some bricks were missing to reveal black holes, were filled with glowing yellow cartoon eyes. Clearly not anything living but simply decoration, but it was enough to annoy me. It looked as if they were following us as we went by. "Come in, and pretend it's all just a bad dream." Alcoves held the remains of ink monsters, cages and barrels sat along the walkways of the ride, and silly cardboard ghosts and skeletons popped out from behind tombstones. At every turn, every attempt for the ride to spook me, I kept my eyes on the speakers above me. Where Alice's mocking words flowed from, trying to get to me.

"It's a funny thing. How so much can fall apart so fast. We never really had control of the studio. Either you in someone's pocket, or you were putting someone into yours." I noticed Bendy avoid staring at a boarded up alcove with his name on it on his side of the track, his grin downcast and upset. Boris' shadow was plastered on the wall up ahead, but it was obvious it wasn't ours. That would have been far too easy. "I just wanted what was promised to me. I just wanted to be beautiful! Surely you can understand that."

The shadow was created from a Boris plush and a spotlight on the floor. _How cruel,_ I scowled. If I had the same amount of naivety as when I first entered the studio, I might have actually believed what I saw was real. "Kate... why are you here? We're all dying to find out." Honestly... that was something I wanted to know myself. I received dad's letter, asking him to return to Joey Drew Studios after 30 years. I had saved my dad from avoiding whatever was being planned in this insane building. But... but with everything I've seen, with everything I'd learned already... what was the goal? Why was dad asked to return? And did Alice only know my name, because I said it in a conversation with Bendy, or was it something else...? _She seemed to know who I was. But am I looking too far into that?_ "Do you just enjoy the terror of the drop into hell? Because if that's the case... hang on tight. I've got a surprise..."

"That ain't good," Bendy mumbled as we passed through another skull door. I nodded dumbly. Every single conversation with the corrupted Susie just left me even more confused. A small right turn led to another door, and through that... was a scene that could rival that ghost mansion ride from Disney.

Boarded up windows, and picture frames with ghoulish figures with flickering yellow eyes. Candles mounted high on the walls, with a crystal chandelier in the center. Bags of an unknown substance were stacked underneath with several boxes, as the track ran around the edge of the room. The floor beneath those was tiled, while the walls themselves had a strange floral pattern of light brown and black. Everything in the studio was colored to that of a 30s cartoon; given the choice of color in their animations, and the cartoon characters themselves, it would make sense. I just missed that splash of bright light. Blue, or red, or yellow.

There was even an organ on the side of the wall, right across from the entrance and the exit of the room. Candles were strategically placed on it to avoid spilling over and catching fire, with their wax melting onto the dusty wood. In the corner was a Bendy statue, collection large cobwebs. "Hey, Bendy? I... I don't feel so good." The toon looked up to me, confused at my statement. "Something... something's not right."

Bendy seemed to catch on, face suddenly much more serious than when the angel was taunting us. "Yeah. I feel it too." His hands tightened around the bar, copying my actions from earlier. "Get ready." The exit opened up to reveal a pitch black hallway. _Ah... so that's the drop._ "Here we g-whoa!"

"AAH!" The two of us yelled in alarm as two massive hands clamped down on our cart, stopping us in our tracks. Stitches were clear on its gloved hands, and stepping back into the light was... "Boris!" Wh-what had Alice done to him!? A metal frame was wrapped around his neck, holding his head upright with a hoop at the top. His entire body had metal pieces sticking out of its trembling inky form. He was no longer stable, and with those crosses on his eyes... he died. Boris died. I... I didn't get to him in time.

Boris tilted his head, studying us before readjusting his hands. The vehicle rocked as he lifted us up off the track, stepping forward, and threw us far across to the other side of the room. Bendy and me hit hard, the bar breaking open and sending us tumbling to the floor. My muscles twitched, and I rolled over to my hands and knees. I-I couldn't do this. I could kill a thousand searchers, b-but Boris!?

"Meet the new and improved Boris!" Alice declared gleefully, as my friend let out a roar and charged towards us. His now enlarged arms swung with each step, showing no sign of slowing down.

"Move!" Bendy grabbed my wrist, and dragged me out of the way as Boris collided with a table close to us. The wood turned to splinters on contact, scattering on the floor where we initially stood. My legs found themselves back underneath me, and I stumbled in keeping up with Bendy.

"I took what I wanted, and in return, I gave him so much more! And this time," she continued as the toon and me backed away. "There's no Ink Demon, no escape. And if Boris isn't to be your demise... then your pal there will certainly get the job done for me." At that comment, Bendy growled darkly, actually taking me by shock. The demon did get mad, yeah, but wh-what did that mean? Wh-why would Bendy kill me!? "Boris, tear her apart! Leave nothing!"

"Bendy, I-I can't do this! I can't kill Boris!" I shouted, tears starting to form in the corners of my eyes. My Boris, my friend, sh-she did this to him. Killed him. Removed vital parts, and twisted him into some Frankenstein monster. Who cared if I sounded weak! Who cared if I sounded desperate! I wasn't going to kill my friend!

"Doll, pull your head together!" Bendy snapped. His hand was still on my wrist, and I just noticed that his grip was even tighter than before. W-was it the fact he was pulled into this fight with me, or was it what Alice said? "That ain't your Boris anymore! If you don't fight back, you can say goodbye to seein' Henry again."

"B-but-!" Bendy yanked me across the room to behind a couch, just as Boris came barrelling through again. The boxes and bags were scattered across the room, nothing being stable in his rampage. Bendy quickly released my wrist, now red from his hold, and slid his glove over his arm abo-a Gent machine! _It's the the same method he showed me before!_

"Get a weapon and fight. You wanna save yourself and everyone, you gotta know when to cross a line."

"B-but I can't-AH!" Boris came running straight at me from the side, having caught us off guard, and I soared across the room. My back, already aching from every fall I'd taken, from the elevator fall to falling several stories at the start of my journey, struck the wall. A gust of breath left my lungs on contact, with small drops of saliva. Every nerve, every part of me screamed in agony, but the impact shook my head and rattled my senses. I-I couldn't think straight. All I could do was lie there whimpering and hissing in pain. Bendy stood back where I was just seconds ago, stunned. Eyes wide, and not believing what he had seen. Every time he had been with me, he had seen me get hurt. When I was coming to after being knocked out from the fall earlier, I could hear how panicked he was about me. I never knew if it was because he was possibly using me, or because he missed having someone to talk to, but the emotion was there. All of those times though, he would snap back to his normal sarcastic and demeaning behavior. But as I blearily looked at him as Boris shoved past him, forcing him to move... something I had never seen before crossed his face.

Pure. Raw. Anger.

With a howl, Bendy dashed forward as Brois lumbered towards me, still too inured to get up. With a leap, Bendy latched onto Boris' back, hands around the pipes embedded in his back. The wolf gave an animalistic shriek, trying to grab at Bendy. Nothing seemed to shake him off though. Bendy, with small but extremely sharp claws poking out from his gloves, slashed and hacked at Boris' back. Inky streams flew from the gouges, as the little demon strove to take down the monster.

I laid there, frozen. Terrified. I had seen Bendy mad. Mad at me for assuming he would go back on his promise for keeping an eye on me. Mad at going after Boris, despite it possibly killing me in the process. There, right in front of me... was something that shook me to my core. And that **scream**. There was only one other creature in the studio I knew could make that sound... and he succeeded in driving me insane as I searched for a way out. _He sounded... just like Inky._

Boris stumbled about the tiled portion of the room, knocking over and into things as he fought to pry off the demon. Keeping a hand on the wall, I climbed to my feet once again and inched along the edge of the track to the Gent machine. Boris... Bendy needed my help. H-he couldn't do this alone. I wanted to-I needed someone to be there for me right now, and someone n-needed me. _If I couldn't make it for him... I'll make it for Bendy._ Now tha-that Boris was that... I had no choice... but to fight.

The pipe fell out of the machine, and I snatched it up before it could hit the floor. Bendy had finally been caught in Boris' meaty hands, the wolf having pried the demon off of his back, and showed no sign of letting go. His small frame was wrapped in a fist, floating head bobbing above it just where his neck should've been. Even without the neck though, I could see the black flush on Bendy's cheeks, struggling to breathe. The enraged demon struggled against his binds, but it was fruitless. Boris roared, the sound pushing the demon's head back, and threw him across the room and into the organ. The pipes bent on impact, emitting a ghastly moan and a cloud of dust.

"Bendy!" I shouted. _I have to act._ Boris slowly turned around, locking his dead eyes on me. _I have to act NOW!_ I snapped to the side, just as Boris rammed into the wall right beside the machine and leaving a large dent in the old wooden wall. Sliding back on my dress shoes, I gripped the pipe with two hands, and lashed out. Letting go with one hand, I swung as hard as I could, right across his back. The impact created was not deep by any means, but the length stretched from the top of his shoulder diagonally to the lower part of his back.

"NO! No! No! No!" The one strike was all I needed, as Bendy managed to wear him down enough for me to finish the job. A torrent of ink flowed from his back where we combined our attacks, and as Boris struggled to hold it together, he collapsed onto his back. Alice's shrieks came from the speakers, but I didn't even heed them. My friend... my friend was dying in front of me... and it was-no.

N-no... it wasn't my fault. It was hers. It was Alice's. I... I did what I swore I'd do. I swore I'd find my friend, and I did... at least now, he was f-free from pain. "Why can't you ever just die!?"

"You're... you're free now, Boris," I whispered, holding one of his fingers in my hands as tears began to form in the corners of my eyes. His head slumped to the side, staring up at me. Could he see me? I didn't know. B-but he needed this. He needed to know I was there, there for him in his last final moments. "I-I promised you... I promised I'd get them out, right? I-I will. I'll get them out. I-I will! I... I...!"

Something brushed against the side of my face, and I noticed that Boris had removed his other hand from his chest as an inky puddle formed underneath him, and used his index finger to swipe at the water on my cheek. A faint smile was on his face, as his form started to shake and quiver. Starting from his feet, and spreading up to his head, Boris began to turn pure inky black. The silent 'thank you' was clear in what remained of his almost expressive face, and I almost started sobbing again. I kept his hand in mine, as he kept his other hand by my face, until... until he finally left this world, melting away into the floor just as every other creature I had battled. But he... he was no monster. He was my friend. Now...

Boris was dead, and... the tears finally ran without any sign of stopping. "B... Bori-"

"Katherine, look out!" Bendy's sudden shout made me snap upwards, as a fierce cry came from ahead of me. Alice, sprinting through the open doors of the exit, flailed her arms ready to strangle me to death. Her fingers were extended, and just as Bendy had done with Boris, was more than ready to attack with the fierceness of a wild animal. Just as she was a foot away, I could hear the footsteps of Bendy running behind me to try and get to me first. But it was no use. Hands extended, it was clear that the angel was going to get to me first. I brought my arms up around my head, ready to block the attack. My pipe was abandoned across the floor, leaving me without a weapon.

This was it. After being forced into killing my friend, I was going to be strangled to death. Burying my face in my little blockade, I waited for the feeling of sharpened nails to sink into my skin, and rip my throat out. I was-I was going to di... die...?

Alice had... stopped. I lowered my arms hesitantly, and I found her staring down at her chest. To both of our shock, right in the center... was a machete. The blade was run through her body like butter, stopping her in her tracks. Choked gasps escaped her deformed mouth as the weapon was pulled out, and Alice placed a hand on the hole. Her eyes looked from it, to me, until finally she collapsed on the ground off to my side, just where Boris previously was.

"What... what was... you?" In a black dress and bow just like hers, with green covering part of it around the middle, a green belt and strap around her chest and going over her shoulder... was Alice. Alice h-had the machete. Bu-but this wasn't my Alice. Sh-this one was complete. Not deformed, or c-corrupted in any way. And right behind her, thumping a pipe into a mechanical hand... was Boris, with a narrowed look that showed he was anything but happy.

Alice and Boris... killed by...? Wh-what was...? "B-Bendy, I'm g-gonna... gonna..." faint. Overwhelmed and injured, I went and fainted in front of everyone. _Hehe._ _I've lost... count of how many times... I passed... out._

* * *

 **Here you go, everyone! That marks the end of chapter 4. Next time, we get into the epic finale!**

 **I'll be posting an update on when we get close or if anything that I can write a short chapter on pops up. Until the next time!**

 **Angel**


	22. One of Three

**Disclaimer: Bending Reality will return...**

 **Masked Freak: With only one chapter left, there better be answers.**

 **Tazmanializard: I've had a fair amount of stories on this site, but there are only 3 that are considered my prize works. This was number 2. I started this some time after chapter 2's release, and even with all those hiatuses, I love that people still kept reading this. It was a blast to write.**

 **RainbowCelin: The invisible ninjas are cutting them!**

 **ultima-owner: 'Why,' what? There's a lot of 'why' questions in that chapter, so it's hard to answer that.**

 **Hourglass Cipher: A lot is happening!**

 **GamerFan 335: You put a warning for a spoiler? Interesting. Anyways, I can't really answer that. There are signs that disprove your point, but as you said, there are signs that agree with it. The truth of Bendy though shall remain a mystery though until the very end, where I will surprise you and the other readers with a huge surprise! MUAH HA HA! Uh, b-but the thing is, my final choice might change depending on what chapter 5 holds. Either way, you're gonna like it.**

 **lilTurtle41: I watch a lot of people make theories. ProdCharles and SuperHorrorBro are my top too. While they're not as huge as Game Theory, I like what they come up with. Sadly, I'm not sure what you're hinting at is. However, if it's anything like what I've been hinting at in the story, or what the person above thought, then you're in for a surprise. I also should mention that when chapter 5 does come out, I might end up revising past chapters, depending on if any important changes were made.**

"Speaking"

* * *

"If anyone finds this, my name's Kate Bowens. And I-I've been trapped beneath the studio of Joey Drew, a man my father used to work for thirty years ago. There's... strange creatures, lurking here. Monsters, angels... and demons.

At this moment, two are holding me captive. A-and I don't know how to get out of here. But besides that... there's more. Much more. Secrets, hiding deep in the shadows that they don't want me to know. Every second feels like an eternity, and I-I know I'm being watched. Maybe not knowing, but that feeling of eyes on me... it's there, and whatever it is... I know it isn't Bendy.

I... I don't know what became of him.

Listen, tape. Whoever plays you, whoever may be listening to this in the future, you can't let... wait... They're coming back."

*Click*

* * *

 **Three weeks remain.**


	23. Two of Three

**Disclaimer: Bending Reality will return...**

 **ultima-owner: We don't know. If you haven't seen the audio recordings on YouTube yet, then it's unknown who's holding us captive.**

 **RainbowCelin: I'll take my time. I have a midterm next week, and a convention that same weekend it comes out, so chapters won't start until that's over. This means... I won't know anything about chapter 5 until Sunday night. No spoilers here! I want to surprise myself!**

 **Guest: Thanks! I try to use every piece of information I can get in this story. From the Easter eggs when Kate can find them-since the audio recording in chapter 4 was a slight pain-to the actual cartoons made during the hiatuses.**

 **TazmaniaLizard: Nah, you're not late. There's a lot to this tape thing that we don't really know. I can't wait for chapter 5's release. However, since it comes out during the fan convention I've been planning on attending, I won't start until afterwards. Not to mention, I have a quiz worth 10 percent the following day I need to prep for.**

"Speaking"

* * *

"... it's me again. Kate. Been a while since i last was able to do this. There's not much to do here, really. I've been doodling on the sheets of paper with me, trying to keep my mind busy. I heard my captors arguing today, and by the looks of things, they're still uncertain of what to make of me.

I suppose it makes sense. I'm not sure what to make of them either. I... I miss them, a lot right now.

Bendy, and B... Boris. Never said anything, but his actions spoke volumes. He was the first one to show me kindness, and that... angel, I just... I couldn't save him. Even with Bendy's help... I don't know what's become of him either.

I promise. I promise I will get out of here, and I will come home, dad. You and mom... just hold on a little while longer. I will find Bendy, and I will make it back to you... if it's the last thing I do."

*Click*

* * *

 **Two weeks remain.**


	24. Three of Three

**Disclaimer: Bending Reality will return...**

 **ultima-owner: Her sanity's already diminished, the moment she had entered the studio.**

 **TazmaniaLizard: Why is it that, when you say almost all flowers are nice, I think you're referring to Flowey?**

"Speaking"

* * *

"This is probably my last I'll be able to record in this thing. I think he saw me talking into it... might not let me keep it, unfortunately.

I... there's so much I want to say, but the most important is... I love you, dad. So... so much. And mom, I-I love you, and I'm... I'm sorry, for all of those spats we've had. But... I don't regret coming here. If it meant sparing you, dad, from all of this horror and suffering... it was worth it.

Coming to this workshop of yours, it... reminds me of all of those stories you told me. Your old coworkers, watching the animations together when I was a kid... it showed how much it had inspired me, to become who I am today. I feel close to solving all of the questions, but... a lot still doesn't make any sense to me.

If anybody ever hears this, and you make it out of here... please, don't come back. Don't go for help. Because... the Ink Demon will find you. And there will be no mercy.

... goodbye, everyone."

*Click*

* * *

 **One week remains.**


	25. Captivity

**Disclaimer: Okay. First off, I just realized a lot of present tense is mixed in the chapters. Especially, that very first one. Probably down the road, I'll tidy this story up alongside the Cuphead one, since I plan on having Kate make an appearance in its sequel.**

 **Second of all-YES! I have chapter 5 automatically installed on Steam! Just finished watching Jack's playthrough the moment the day came, and I'm ready to go. Now, before I do, since this chapter just came out let me warn that there WILL be spoilers.**

 **And for anyone who has seen it... I loved it, really, but that ending really bothered me. Thankfully, this story was already going to be different no matter what, but this never answered so many things. More thoughts later on.**

 **RainbowCelin: Dab in front of Boris? But... our Boris is dead.**

 **ultima-owner: Good!**

 **Masked Freak: It depends. The saving feature of the game is weird, and I had to reply 3 multiple times. Plus, school is really distracting. It might be a while before I can truly sit down and play, but... I should have time around finals to do it. Either then, or during my study week. Whenever it is, I'll let you know what my thoughts are.**

 **Transgirl2000: New faces? All I can think of is Joey and Inky. New friend? Highly doubt that one. Maybe the new Boris and Allison, perhaps, but the final chapter will be much more intense. Now... things get serious.**

 **TazmaniaLizard: Like I've mentioned, I won't be posting right away. The fan convention I've planned to attend is that weekend, so this chapter had to be partially delayed.**

 **TazmaniaLizard (again): Hello again. According to the creator, there is still more to come with Bendy. However, I refuse to wait, and the ending really... confused me? Annoyed me? Whatever it is, you're gonna like what I end up doing.**

 **Kate is mine, and the song lyrics are the official Bendy song by Lauren Synger, the voice of Allison Angel.**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

" **Reading** "

* * *

"I never gave up hoping, that you would come along. How bleak it seemed, till you fond me. So now I sing this song."

"... I know that song." The sentence was muffled from having my head pressed against the cot in my cell, glancing between the wooden beams of the wall at Alice. For days, I had been there, with only the drawings I'd done on the paper for entertainment. I was hungry, and the few uncooked cans of bacon soup slipped to me were not doing me any favors. Thank goodness for that washroom behind the wall panel... couldn't even stomach that.

I was getting weak. I had been knocked out so many times, that time itself had become to lose meaning. And how far was I, beneath the studio? "Everyone knows that song." I blinked, hearing the soft reply from the cartoon. _So now she chooses to answer me. After who knows how long._ "Who are you...? Why are you here?"

"I intercepted a letter from my dad's old friend... now I'm trapped here, same as you." It made sense we both knew the song. Alice, from one of her old cartoons, sang it. Mom never really enjoyed Bendy, but she always had a soft spot for the angel-demon hybrid. She specifically learned the song lyrics to sing me to sleep as a kid, whenever I had a nightmare. _Heh... haven't thought about that in years._

"Then you know more than we do," Alice said, studying the strange inky symbols she was writing on the wall opposite of my cage. "One minute, we don't even exist... just... thoughts. And the next minute... this place."

"... are you gonna let me out of here?" I didn't like this. True, Alice didn't seem evil, like... like the other one, who k-kill... butchered Boris. She was obviously acting to protect herself, as I was something different. But I couldn't last down there for much longer. The ink, and the food... I knew I was getting weaker. Physically, mentally, and especially emotionally.

"Down here, strangers aren't good things. How can we trust you? We don't even know what you are." _What I am?_ Had they never seen a human before?

"My name is Kate... and my father worked here, thirty years ago." I waited for a response, as for a few seconds, she was viciously writing out new details.

"I... I honestly don't know my name... so they call me Alice. But I'm no angel." Because calling her an angel... put her in the same category as that abomination. "You go back and rest. We'll talk again later." Her face shifted to one of pity, albeit very faint. "You look like you need it."

* * *

"It's only for a few hours. No need to worry. I won't go far..."

I could hear Alice's voice, instructing what must've been Boris. He wasn't my Boris, no. N... no one could replace him, so my behavior around this new Boris was... forcefully limited. Plus, he... did not seem to like me. "Only up to level six. Just stay here."

Boris, by the gap in conversation, seemed to not like that idea. Either being forced to play babysitter, or having his friend head out on her own. "Keep an eye on Kate, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise." _Where is she going? What's at level six?_ The door clicked shut, followed by a metallic clang... and then silence once again.

* * *

I stood at the boarded door, staring down Boris on a seat across from me. His ax thumped against his metallic palm, and I silently studied the wires that connected to it, and up to a metal pad on his shoulder. _Does he really think I'm a threat. Really?_ I was losing my mind, surely. Health dropping bit by bit each time I fell asleep, and he didn't even care to check in on me properly?

 _Fine. Be that way._ I trudged back to my cot, and flopped down on it. _Sleep is better than this anyway._ I could make out his narrowed eyes through a crack in the wall, having paused in the repeated movement. We both locked eyes, before the next heavy clang echoed throughout the room. I relented to darkness once again, but with the reminder of Boris just outside the makeshift wall... _I miss you, Boris. I'm so sorry._

* * *

"Kate?"

"Hmm?" I got up off the floor from reviewing my drawings, and found Alice at my boarded door with... a bowl of bacon soup?

"Here. You must be hungry. Sorry... it's all we have." I saw steam drift up from it, showing that unlike the cans in the room with me, the bowl was obviously cooked. She offered me a small smile, and turned to walk away. She could've said more, and it looked like she wanted to, but chose to keep it short due to the reminder I was a 'prisoner'. She knew I wasn't eating well, and she could see I was unable to stomach what I had been feeding myself. _Thanks,_ _Alice_ _._ I reached forward, eager to take the food, only for a hand to slam down and block me.

Boris. He watched Alice turn the corner, to the other side of the room where a bookshelf kept her hidden, and he slowly turned back to me. Then, with a flick, he sent the bowl and soup flying to the floor. The dish shattered on impact, and the soup spread across the floor. Boris' black brow deepened, and he pointed a finger at me with his metal hand, before tightening it in a fist. The shifting of joints was loud as day, and so was his message.

He would not like me, even if Alice showed me kindness. To him, I would always be a threat to what they'd known. Boris stormed off in the opposite direction to the right, and slammed the door on the way out. "... jerk."

* * *

"I know you're watching me... it's just... a little creepy."

"It isn't like I have anything else to do," I replied, arms crossed on the beam. "What are you writing there, anyway? Why the walls?"

"For some poor souls down here, it's the only way they can be heard." _Well, that's... depressing._ "But you don't want to touch the ink for too long! It can claim you... pull you back. That's how I met Tom." I-excuse me, Tom? Since when was there... did she mean Boris? "I was messing with things I shouldn't have been and he... he was there."

"Why do you call him 'Tom'? I thought his name was Boris," I asked, genuinely curious.

"He just seems to respond to it." Did that mean he told her, or...? _Wow, that's a vague answer._

"Well, I don't think he likes me all that much." Alice paused in her writing, and turned to look at me.

"Let me show you something... a while back, I was mapping out one of the upper levels..." she wandered over to me, flashing back to a memory. "... when I noticed something reflecting off a piece of glass. I held up the glass, looked through, and on the wall behind me was a hidden message!"

"A what?" Alice reached into a subspace pocket, and handed me an odd device. It was sort of like a crudely made mirror on a mount, with a string of small lights running around it and making an odd humming noise.

"Right there in plain sight! So I kept looking... and found more and more messages everywhere in the studio! But you can't see them with your eyes." I hesitated, but picked it up. Lifting the mirror to my face, I didn't expect to see anything. So what a surprise... when I found a glowing halo above Alice's head.

Of course... how could I ignore the ominous message in the background? " **She will leave you for dead** ," did not make me feel any better. "I don't know who's leaving them, but I think they know how to get out of here."

"Where does it all go?"

"... nowhere." Alice's head drooped. "I followed them for a long time... just leads me in circles. I don't think I'm meant to leave this place, Kate." She stepped away from me, shaking her head at the horrible idea. Of being trapped there, just as... I was fearing. "But maybe... you are."

"I-I'm sorry, what? Me?" She thought I was able to leave? Then why wouldn't she let me out?

As if reading my thoughts, or the question was plain on my face, she answered, "Tom thinks you're dangerous."

"But what do you think of me?"

"I... I think... you're the hope I've been waiting for." I was the... hope? What part of me seemed like that deserved a title? The woman on the other side wielded a machete and had a commanding aura. I was always passing out from injuries or shock, and... and losing friends along the way.

She released the board, and began to retreat to the wall, seeing that I was deeply thinking over her words. _I... I was the hope?_ "Go to sleep. Maybe tomorrow will be better." _It... it's a nice thought to sleep on though, isn't it?_

"... goodnight... Allison." Alice paused mid-step, but by the time she turned around, I had already given in to my dreams once again. _Nice... thought._

* * *

 **It ends on such a strange ending, it makes me so frustrated! Gah! So! Many! QUESTIONS!**

 **By the way, even though we now know Henry's real last name, I am not going back to edit that in. It's such a minor thing, and this story is already going down the AU trail. And, sorry for the odd chapter. Seeing that close to ten minutes is nothing but the player trapped in a cell, it's hard to get creative. Things will get better and more interesting, I can say that.**

 **Until next time! Have an early happy Halloween, everyone!**

 **Angel**


	26. Going on a Trip

**Disclaimer: I got it done, so I shall post. Next update might be a little far out, due to the wonders of midterms in a single week.**

 **lilTurtle: It was frustration over the glitching save function, and the ending. My ending will be much different than what we saw in chapter 5. I hope you'll like what I have in store.**

 **ultima-owner: Punching is understandable, but considering he's possibly in his seventies/eighties, punching an elderly man seems a little extreme.**

 **DomesticatedPiggy: It's really nice to see you reviewing again. Most people I see aren't too fond of OCs, but I enjoy creating them to build on my stories. Spinning different takes on the original works is really enjoyable. I haven't figured out yet what happened to Bendy, but I should get a good idea soon.**

 **Dovahkiin795: If this is referring to an earlier statement of mine, yes, I do watch his theories.**

 **Ordinary Snerson: I like OCs, and I really like it when people enjoy them too. I've been doing this for... almost two years. I made this account years ago, forgot it, and then started posting end of 2016. Considering all of the progress I've made with all of my stories, I think I came a pretty far way.**

 **TazmaniaLizard: For now, we'll have the original game, and the mobile game. I'll like whatever he creates, especially if it involves Bendy. I just want to find out if there's a normal Bendy in the studio, somewhere.**

 **gregorian12: I already know about those, seeing that I'm stuck on that stupid hand boss... thing. Keep dying on it. Also, what makes you think about the handwriting thing? This is going to end in a way not like the game, and that 'time loop' theory isn't gonna fly here.**

 **Masked Freak: What is it with people and that theory? Personally, I think it's more complicated than that, but we aren't here to discuss my opinions on the matter.**

 **PoisonCupcake101: She wasn't being humble. That thing about being the 'savior' and 'hope' was mostly confusion and doubt. She thinks Allison is a much more suited person for the job, as she kept making mistakes and digging herself into a pit.**

 **RainbowCelin: I'm not sure. I've seen theories about what happened, but I'm making my own ending now.**

 **Snowwing: What stories are those? Are they posted here?**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

" **Reading** "

* * *

 _Hmmm... Bendy has no neck, and yet Inky has one. Is it truly a neck, or is that just the ink melting?_ It was a random thought, but thinking spontaneously was a nice distraction. One could only listen to Allison fixing Tom's arm for so long before getting bored. _So... so bored._

"That was really stupid, Tom!" She finally broke the silence, her commanding voice mixing with the cranking of machinery. "You shouldn't have gone out there! Now that he's seen you... it's only a matter of time...!" Each pause was followed with a hard yank to get things in place. What had damaged his limb so mu-wait. _Gone out there? Was this... when he stormed out after knocking my soup away?_ "Before he finds us here." _He...?_ The... Ink Demon. He... he spotted Tom?

The two stopped, and turned in my direction. I was sitting on the floor, but my face was clearly visible through the doors' cracks, turning pale at the thought. Allison gave a forced reassuring smile, noticing that I had pieced it together, and offered me a wave before returning to work. As for Tom... the ax thumping returned. _He's going to find us, isn't he? It's only a matter of time now._

* * *

"We can't just leave her! Not with the Ink Demon right outside the door!"

Panic. Pure panic was what I awoke to. For the first time since I had arrived there, in this cell, I was fully awake. Ink Demon... that name triggered my adrenaline, and I could hear the banging overhead as he was drawing nearer to our hideout. "He found us?" I asked, springing from my cot and over towards them. Allison and Tom were at the boards, and turned to see my nervous face. Hers matched mine perfectly now; a creation of fear and worry.

"He's coming... we have to move on!" She gripped one of the boards, and gestured to her wolf companion. "Tom! We have to let her out!" Allison began to tug, and even though the wood creaked, nothing budged. Tom, with a disapproving look, rested a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. _They... they don't have time for me._ He still saw me as a threat. Something that would slow them down. _No. No. Please, Allison, don't leave me in here!_ She stepped back, hands over mouth in near tears. "... I'm so sorry."

With those as her last words, Allison bolted through the door. Tom, sparing me one last glance, followed suit. "Wh-no. Allison, come back! Allison! Tom!" I hollered after them, but it was no use. They weren't coming back. They... I-I... fine. Fine then. I had survived this long, I could take things into my own hands again. _And I really doubt my luck with breaking down these boards to escape with my actual hands too._ "I... need something blunt, and heavy."

I checked around the small room, but even though the boxes would break down the wall, it was a bad form of a weapon. "... check the washroom." I had learned of its discovery by accident, when I first woke up. I was checking the spoon, seeing if I could use it for the bacon soup, when it turned out to be a switch to the wall panel. Perhaps there was something hidden in there that I had missed.

Tugging it down, the door slid to the side. All that was in there was the toilet, and I knew for a fact nothing was in the basin itself... what of the top part? "Let's see here... bingo." A pipe, just like what Boris gave me before we reached the elevator. Snatching it up, I rushed to the boards and whacked them down. "She couldn't have had tried that hard to remove them. I'm using a pipe, for crying out loud."

My exit in sight, I went to run off down the hallway the others had gone, before pausing. The mirror device sat at the foot of my bed, still humming with energy despite seeming to lack a battery. _Hmmm... fine._ I went back, grabbed it, and stuck it in a pocket before heading out. There were bound to be more messages, and I would obviously check for them, but right now escaping was my top priority.

Plants and inky floors greeted me along the dark hallway, and gripping my weapon closer to my stained clothes, journeyed onward. A sharp hissing noise made me jump back a step, before finding it only to be a searcher. "You're not even worth it." If Inky was that close, then I had to move quickly. Ignoring the monster, even as it went to lunge at me, I hurried through the tunnel, taking care not to slip and crack my head.

Though, after a turn to the left, the next turn to the right involved balancing on boards over a deep inky puddle. "Quick steps, Kate. No doubt there's something hiding there." There was. But by the time the creature sprung up, I was already on the other side. Still, my foot did slip at the end, drenching it and part of my left leg in the cool black liquid. "Eugh."

Dim light greeted me, and it looked like... a dock. Small candles scattered about, with the occasional studio light, with two ramps leading down into the inky sea. A massive pipe lay ahead, no doubt the way to wherever Allison and Tom went. After all, judging from the fact there was only one barge left, they must've taken the other one. _Going in the right direction then,_ I thought with a nod. "Let's hurry."

Taking the lever to move the boat down into the black liquid and cranking it, I watched the ride slide down and off of the platform. "Yes." The soles of my shoes were still slick, and moving down a ramp wasn't making things any easier. I clambered, foot sliding once as I got inside, and pressed the ignition button. "Here we go." With the pipe in my left hand, I took the small lever on the control panel in my right and pushed it upwards.

If it wasn't for the small light at the front of the boat with me, I probably wouldn't have been able to see where I was going. The barge seemed like it was built on a track, as there was no way to move side to side, but that just meant I had a destination ahead no matter what. _Hope it's a safe one,_ I mentally prayed. _Hmmm... what can I do to pass the time? I got it._

"We're going on a trip, in our favorite inky ship... wow, that sounds more inappropriate when said out loud." _Okay, maybe I should just focus on sailing alo-what the heck!?_ "Aah!" In a large cavern, just as my boat was taking a turn to the left, a massive cartoon hand rose out from the inky river. The glove was stained in the black it was hiding in, dripping and creating large waves around it. From my distance, I gripped the handle tighter, trying to steady myself. It groped the air before finding a boat in front of it, and clamped down over the canopy. The roof was crushed under its large fingers, and it dragged the vehicle down under the murky surface. "Wh-what the heck was-why aren't I moving!?"

I spun around, seeing three globs of ink jamming up the paddle. With my hand still on the lever, I swung at the ink with my left. The moment they were knocked back overboard, the boat started up again and continued along its merry way. _Not merry anymore!_ Ink hand! Why the-why!? Out of everything in this studio, why the heck was that a thing!? It didn't even make any sense! _Of course there'd be some sort of enemy in my escape! As if anything else in this madhouse had been easy!_

"Hating this! Hating this on such an extreme level!" Was it the fact I was alone again that my strange sense of humor was leaking into my complaints again? Ever since B... Boris was taken from me, everything had gotten so much more serious. Were things calming down now, or... was my mind forcing me to do this, as a method of coping? _I'm already losing my mind in here, so I wouldn't put it past that idea._ "Stop sticking!"

The method kept repeating. Every dozen or so meters, and I would be forced to turn around and hit the ink blobs off the paddle for the barge to keep working. Each time that happened, I would glance up, and see the giant hand crawl along the surface of the tunnel. Each time... it would near closer, and closer, ready to jump and crush my boat. The only thing keeping me from drowning in the inky abyss. "Please be an exit, please!"

A faint trace of light appeared ahead, and soon the barge emerged from the tunnel. An inky figure sat atop a platform overhead, watching as I entered the new area. The boat came to a stop alongside a dock, and I released the lever. "I... please, don't be following me anymore." I looked over my shoulder, and just as I had hoped, the hand did not continue its chase. Instead, it spun around and began to crawl back the way it came. Ink tendrils dripped from its surface, falling into the river beneath. "Th-there... this should be a fair distance away from Inky."

I still wished I knew where Tom and Allison went though. It was no doubt that the boat I saw earlier was theirs, and seeing how it was empty, meant they were off somewhere else in the studio... cavern... thing. At this point, with how far below the surface I was, I didn't even consider all of this an animation studio anymore.

It would do me no good thinking back on them, however. They... they left me. If I wanted to progress, then I had to focus, and keep looking ahead. _Looking ahead... I promise, Boris. I'll get them out, just like I said I would._ I would find Bendy, no matter what, and we were going to escape this place. "Now then." I surveyed the roughly put-together town, my feet hitting the old boards with a creak. "Where am I, and where to next?"

* * *

 **That marks the end of 27. With how short the chapters are, it's hard to estimate how much longer until we reach the end. But, if I had to guess... it's not anymore than 10. Definitely less than 10 until it's over. If I did make the chapters larger, than this entire story would've been way too short, and the hiatuses would've been a pain.**

 **So... yeah. Random thoughts, and expect the next chapter to be slightly delayed.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	27. Inky Fight Club

**Disclaimer: The first rule of fight club... is we don't discuss fight club.**

 **RainbowCelin: You'll like the ending. Just like the game itself, there will be a lot of material I'll leave unanswered. However, if you were to read something that will come out in the future... you might get your answers.**

 **ultima-owner: It doesn't scare me, but it's really annoying. I died three times in trying to escape.**

 **TazmaniaLizard: You and me both. Haven't even made it to the fight yet, due to that stupid hand. Sorry, but there's no multiple Bendys. That may be the case for the Boris', but not for everyone else.**

 **topaz3: I have nothing against MatPat, but a few of his Bendy theories I'm not too hooked on. Besides, nothing anyone says is going to play into my ending. After all, this is an AU.**

 **OnetimeCommenter: ... hehehe. Be patient, and you'll see.**

 **Curious Kit: You're welcome!**

 **I do not own Bendy and the Ink Machine. However, I do now have a lovely commissioned drawing from the convention of Kate with Bendy!**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

" **Reading** "

* * *

"Of course my one exit is broken." I hopped onto the ground on the other side, seeing the dock the boat was at sink into the black makeshift water. Sometimes, it either seemed that things happened just to annoy me, or a... a certain inky demon was following from the shadows. "Bendy, where are you?" He couldn't be dead. He couldn't be. He might've been injured after fighting Boris, but he was still alive. The problem was, I didn't know how far away from that room I was now, or if... if the Ink Demon found him already.

"Just... focus on getting away from this place first. After that, you go after him." I stood in the middle of the area, gazing around at the broken hideaway I found myself in. Small shack-like buildings stacked poorly on top of each other, with a tall wooden fence going around the backside and a locked wooden door. Directly ahead of me was a boarded up entrance into a tunnel, with papers stuck around it. Papers, with inky hand prints. Sometimes with three, four, or five fingers. _The... inky pe_ _ople._ No doubt, it was from them changing form.

I did wonder though... if were any secret messages hidden at this gateway, besides the common ink messages found throughout the studio. Bringing it out from my pocket, as the device was long enough to stick out, I held it in front of me. " **Once people. Now fallen into despair**." That, uh... certainly summed up a lot of what I pieced together. _Anything else here?_ I shone the light around, having my frown twist into one of nervousness at the only other message I found. " **You bring death** ," and the O in the first word was a skull.

"Not a good omen." Pocketing the machine, I stepped up the two steps towards the tunnel, walking towards my only clear exit. "Guess this is the next way to go-AH!"

The boards broke down onto the floor at my feet in rapid succession, and a gargled voice emitted from within the darkness. _Inky!?_ "BETRAYED! ABANDONED!" I ran back towards the river, spinning around to find an ink person sprinting out of the hole, flinging an ax around wildly. The person paused for a few seconds, and my heart froze. _Sammy!?_ He was ali-how? How!? Inky killed him, didn't he? How did he get there, down this far into the studio? _And why is he screaming about being betrayed?_ "I trusted you! I gave you everything... and you left me to rot! Why...? WHY!?"

With that, the deranged once-human charged at me, ax high over his head. "Crap!" I jumped to the side, barely missing the sharpened blade as it was brought down. I ran around the land, as he stalked me, swinging the weapon if I got to close. His mumbles stuck in my head though, hearing how he was 'forsaken'. Did he mean Inky? How his 'lord' attacked him instead of going after me?

"S-Sammy, that wasn't my fault! I didn't do anything!" I slid across the ground, tearing small holes into my pants as I avoided another swing; the blade narrowly missing my neck. It was no use. In his mind, I was Inky. I was the 'savior', who attacked and tried to kill him. No matter what I did now, wouldn't get through to him.

But how was I supposed to break away from the old employee with my life intact? _Come on, Kate_ , I foolishly reminded myself, one key fact slipping through my mind in my panic. _You have a pipe. Use it!_ Gripping the metal tool in my hand, I ducked as he swung again at me, and lashed my own arm outwards. The impact wasn't expected, and Sammy's mask was sent flying across the room.

His attacks halted, and he reached up to try and cover what little face he had. "No! Don't look at me. Stay away..." He dashed a few feet away from me, and I blinked at the sudden change in attitude. Did the guy really just go from murderous rampage to that, because of a mask? _Weird._ I kept my tightened hold on my weapon, shuffling closer. Perhaps a strike to the back of his head would knock him out, long enough for me to esca-

A black hand snatched at the collar of my shirt, hoisting me into the air. _I-it was a ploy!? Idiot! Why did I not see that coming!?_ Sammy hissed at me, and while I could not see any mouth, I could feel his hot breath against my face. Large, sunken spots in the ink represented what remained of his eyes, narrowed at me with pure malice. "Ah! You lied to me! You said I'd be free! Well, I'm going to free you now!" He threw me to the ground at his feet, and I reached for my shirt where his cold hands were pressed against my skin. I stared up in horror, as he thumped the ax in his hands. "Free your head right off your shoulders!"

I-I couldn't fight him. Not like this. In my current position, and my current weapon, I had no chance. _I'm... I'm going to die._ It wasn't by Alice, or by Inky, like I thought it'd be, but by the music director. _I... sorry, Bendy, Boris. I... I tried my best._ "Sheep, sheep, sheep... it's time for... sleep." The blade raised high over his head, and just as he began to bring it down onto my skull, a blade-an ax... met his own.

The sound of ink-like bone shattering as it pierced his head stunned me into silence, and Sammy stumbled before falling to my side. "... Tom?" The wolf in question gripped the handle of the weapon in the dead man's head, ripping it free. His serious black eyes met mine, before flipping the ax in his hand and holding out the handle for me to grab. "Hehe... th-thank you." He pulled me to my feet, releasing the object and picking up Sammy's fallen ax.

"That was close! You're lucky we were in the neighborhood." Allison walked up alongside us, before awkwardly patting my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

I glared at her for a few seconds, showing just how poorly the question was at the moment. "No. But I've been better. I just... I'm angry you two left me for dead, but it isn't the first time I had a friend down here who was more concerned with their safety at first." I had to convince Bendy to join me, and I was glad it didn't take an insane and corrupted man to do it. My glare finally dulled, and I smiled back. "I'm just glad to have company."

A soft, but very noticeable rumble echoed from within the buildings around us, and our trio backed closer together, forming a triangle and looking around at all sides. "That... was not Inky, was it?"

"The Ink Demon? No... I don't think so. The searchers and the lost ones built this place... Sammy must have been keeping them at bay. Now that he's gone-looks like we're in for a fight. Get ready!" On her command, the ink monsters sprung up around our feet, dragging themselves close to begin their assault. "Watch out! Here they come!"

Allison was strong, just from how she talked. But seeing her with her machete, and slashing the beasts was almost done in an elegant manner. It was like she was dancing, while Tom kept along a method of aiming for their heads. As for myself, I aimed for their chests, watching as the blade went through the body as if it were butter. How was it that they could attack, and think, when they were only mere ink? Was it something in the ink that made them alive? _Argh! Stop trying to think things out and move, Kate!_

"I've never seen this many before!" Allison called, more than likely an observation. The lost ones, just as she had said earlier, began to run out from within the corners of the buildings, stumbling and approaching us. Were we seen as threats? Possibly. They could've seen Allison as Alice, who no doubt tormented the poor souls I saw earlier when I was still with Bendy.

"Tom!" I swung my blade, striking a lost one in the back and splitting its inky body into pieces as it neared the toon from behind. I ran up to his side, as he nodded in appreciation. Pointing ahead right where the tunnel was, we saw Allison charging towards two searchers wearing miner hats. _They must have been from creating all these tunnels and underground rooms._ Quickly, we followed after her, striking our larger blades into them and watching the ink puddle form where they once formed.

"Look out!" I felt a hand push me to the side, just as Allison whirled around and stabbed a lost one through its chest. The ink being held my pipe in its hand, having it aimed at the back of my head. "I think that's all of them..." her words shown how tired she was from the onslaught, but no other monsters or lost souls had risen up to fight us. "... but you never know where they're going to crawl out next. Probably best if we stay together from now on." She turned to me, sliding her weapon back into her belt. "Kate? Think you can lead the way?"

"Me?" I bent down to retrieve the pipe, and carried it in my other hand. It was impractical to carry a large ax, and a smaller weapon like that, but it seemed best to have both just in case I lost or damaged one. _They want me to lead them?_ _Is this like the hope thing she mentioned earlier?_ "I... I have a mission, to get whoever is still sane out of here. I lost Boris, and I don't know where Bendy is... but I'll try and get you two out of here with me." I moved to the wooden door off to the side, and broke it open with the ax, letting the two doors swing open to reveal our new route. The tunnel ahead, now showing signs of a partially finished hallway, had zero flooring. While there were lights overhead, and actual walls, the floor consisted of beams precariously stretching across the abyss beneath. "Where... I fainted when you found, but... what happened to my friend?"

Allison and Tom exchanged a look, and he gestured with his mechanical hand to me. She sighed, before turning to answer. "Your friend fell unconscious not long after I took out the angel, but we didn't take him with us. Sorry, but with how much he bore resemblance to the Ink Demon, we thought he-"

"Was a threat," I finished for her. "It's... he attacked Boris after he was b-butchered by Alice. He got hurt trying to protect me." I faced the pathway ahead, hands gripping my weapons more tightly than needed. "I hope he's still alive."

She moved up alongside me, black lips offering a small smile. "You will. Now let's go." She stepped ahead, before suddenly giving me a confused look. "Why did you call me Allison?" _Oh. She meant back in the safe house, didn't she?_

"Alice used to be Susie, a voice actress of the studio who played the character. However, I think she became the cartoon she voiced after finding out about being replaced by a girl named Allison. I'm... I-I think that's you." The two now were listening completely, and I knew that my vague knowledge I had found in the studio had payed off. If it was my dad, who knew almost all of the workers, he might have had a better chance at explaining than I would. "I think that whatever happened to her, to turn her into a toon she voiced, happened to you. But unlike Susie, you must've... not carried any of your memories of your past life."

"I was... like you?" Her voice was soft, trying to make sense of my words. "But then... what about Tom?"

"Boris must've been another worker of the studio, which one I don't know. One of the projectionists of the studio, Norman, was transformed into a monster with a projector for a head. I-I thought he wasn't going to attack me when I first saw him, but then... Inky ran in as I was hiding to rip his head off, dr-dragging his body away. A man who tried to create a theme park of Bendy, turned into a ride himself. I just... none of this makes any sense. Why is all this happening. Why was... why was my dad asked to come to this place?" Was he going to suffer the same fate as everyone else...? _Why, Joey? Why did you do all of this?_

A large hand rested on my shoulder, this time being Tom. His black eyes were sad, and confused, just as the rest of us were. "Kate..." Allison spoke for the two of them, sighing deeply as the information rested in her head. "Whatever happened to us, and what led us all here... that's in the past. If we want to get out, we need to focus ahead. Worrying on what has happened before, even if we can't remember, isn't going to help... and if you want to call me, Allison, you can go ahead. I don't mind." It sounded like an afterthought, but not a bad one.

A name, even though she couldn't recall the past with it, was something. She liked it, and I was glad she did. I nodded, feeling the warmth of Tom's palm retract. "Okay. Be careful though. These boards don't seem exactly stable." I approached the edge, peering over to look at the pit. That was a fall. I had done so before, falling large distances, but each time either hurt me or knocked me out. Resting a foot on top of it, and pressing my weight down on it. It creaked, but that was all. "Okay. Nice and slow now."

I stepped onto the plank, and moved onto the next one. Testing the weight, I pressed my foot onto it. _Okay. Second one is fine._ "We're almost the-!" The wooden beam under my shoe gave out, and I flung my arms desperately to catch myself. It was like the very first time I was in the studio, watching my fingers miss the walkway as gravity crashed in around me.

"KATE!" Allison's horrified cry echoed over my head as I dropped, plummeted down into the abyss. I spun around to stare up at hers and Tom's faces, watching them fade away until I no longer could see the surface where I last was. The weapons in my hands had already fallen past me, and before I knew it, my back crashed against the ink below.

It was cold, it was unexpected, and it stunned me. My first drop hurt my back. The second in the elevator knocked me out, but at least I was still able to breathe clean air. But there, black spots flooded my vision and my lungs. It stung, and choked me. Wrapping tendrils around my throat, and dragging me deeper and deeper to the bottom. Binding my arms, and pulling me away from the warmth of the surface. My heart was heavy like lead, and my head was buzzing. N-no. Not buzzing. It was... whispers. Unintelligible whispers, overlapping each other.

Was this... like what Alice meant? Being reborn in a well of screaming voices? It... seemed about right. Ho-how many times was I close to death, that things... started to act off? Arms trying to pull me in through the walls, and what happened in the archives... I was dying the moment I entered the studio, and now... now it was no doubt.

 _Cold... cold..._ everything was blurred now, and then... it wrapped around my arm. Tightly, and not letting me go. I was being forced to the surface, and I felt my body break through the ink and dragged onto the floor. I rolled onto my back and hacked up the that flooded my system. I-it burned. It burned horribly, as if my insides were set on fire. Spots were still there in my eyes, and it was still cold, but... I was alive. _How... how am I alive?_

"Heh... heh... nice to find ya again, kid. Been lookin' all over for ya."

 _That... voice. It... no way._ I slowly lifted my head up at the voice, and almost had my arms give out in sheer shock. I-it couldn't be from near drowning, could it? I-were my eyes playing tricks on me, or was it really...? "B-Bendy?"

Whether or not he was an illusion, I could hear the ink splattering the floor at his feet as it ran down his body. Black toon eyes met my own, and he swiped the liquid falling in front of his eyes, chest rising up and down in heavy gasps for air just like myself. "Heh... the one and only... miss me?"

* * *

 **This was a fun one to write, and it makes me even more happy once I fix up all of the chapters once it ends. With the game officially finished, it deserves a final touching up.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	28. Tensions Run High

**Disclaimer: This... is a very important chapter. Not THE most important. No, that one is coming up soon. It's still important to the story though.**

 **TazmaniaLizard: Bendy is back! He had to return at some point, didn't he?**

 **Shadow88: Sorry, but I can't exactly answer that. It'll spoil the ending. You'll just have to keep reading to find out.**

 **Curious Kit: Yes. Yes, he is.**

 **RainbowCelin: Where did you think he was hurt? It never said anything? You're thinking is correct, because it's the truth. There's all sorts of information that concludes that Alice is Allison and Tom is Thomas.**

 **ultima-owner: When you say 'before coming inky', I take it you mean being put through the machine. No, Sammy wasn't insane. If you listen to his recordings, it shows he was sane before everything went downhill. Being locked in the building for who knows how long, with a creature like Bendy would drive anyone insane. As for Susie, she isn't exactly... a 'Boris slaughtering nut job'. She killed them because she was taking their parts to try and perfect herself. She did the same for a lot of other creatures too, so saying she was targeting only the Boris clones isn't entirely true. Plus, she shows more sanity than Sammy ever had.**

 **DomesticatedPiggy: Indeed, Bendy is back. Things are getting to the big climax now. Also, since I know you've been following the GFA story, I thought you should know its sequel has started up again.**

 **Masked Freak: I think it's because Alice might have been attacking them. If she was going over other people to 'perfect' herself, then she might have done the same to them. And since Allison looks like Alice... you get it.**

 **Also, I just realized I might've messed up the part where Alice opens the first door, and then Kate breaks down the boards. Sort of combined them into one part... oh well.**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

" **Reading** "

* * *

Bendy. Bendy the Dancing Demon was... alive. A-alive and in... front of me. "You're-missed you? Missed you!? Idiot, what do you think!?" I lunged forward, grabbing him by the shoulders and dragging him into a hug. He didn't fight it, but allowed me to cling to him, fearing he'd go and melt through the floorboards. Frankly, I also wanted to slap him for scaring me half to death. I-I had no idea if he was alive or not before this point, and I had no clue how long it had been since I had last seen him. I just... I needed this hug. So... so badly. "H-how the heck did you get down he-holy cow, Bendy, your eye!"

His left eye was covered by a torn brown cloth with a toon eye painted on it. Two thin strips of the same brown fabric branched off from the bottom left and upper right, running around his head to hold it in place. A plunger was left a foot behind him, which was no doubt being carried by him. A brown rope was looped around his chest, from one shoulder to the other side of his body. His black dress shoes were filthy, as were his gloves, and stained gauze was wrapped around his left arm, right above his hand.

"Wh... what happened to you?" Bendy's shoulders slumped, and he rubbed the back of his head. "Bendy...?"

"Boris... got a good hit in when he threw me. Trust me, kid, you don't wanna see my eye right now." His hand returned to the front, and he cupped said eye. "I... just need a pen, that's all, and I'll be fine." His other eye glanced to me, with an outstretched arm. Slowly, I retracted it, and sighed. He wasn't going to let me see it... but I would help him fix it.

"I'll help redraw your eye, Bendy. But not in this place. Not after that... fall..." _wait a minute._ "You... saved me, didn't you? When I fell." He... grabbed my arm. I was so close to drowning, t-to death, that I didn't even notice him beside me when I was brought back to the surface. _It wasn't the ink that spit me out. He went in after me._

"Who else would go diving into the studio's cursed ink? Unlike your new pals, I ain't able to be affected with the ink. One of a kind, right here." _He's really been going out of his way for me lately, hasn't he?_ This wasn't the first time he'd helped me, and it probably won't be the last. I pulled myself to my feet, giving a small cough as the feeling of said black liquid still stung my throat. "You okay?"

"I'm... fine." I glanced upwards, hoping to see Allison and Tom. Unfortunately, their faces were mere dots far above our heads. _Can they even see me right now?_ "I'm okay, guys! I'll go on ahead!"

"Be careful!" Allison's shout echoed down the drop, and I turned back to the demon. Bendy had gone over to the plunger, and picked it up. I watched in confusion as he slipped it away into his subspace, before continuing along the pathway I found myself at.

"You comin' or what?" I looked back up, before jogging to join him as he took the lead. "It was a little bit by luck I found ya, you know. Figured using a rope to get to the lower floors would be a bit easier, since I took out most of my strength in helpin' you out." We entered what appeared to be a waiting room, with wooden benches and a reception desk on our left. Music flowed through the speakers overhead, and I immediately placed the soft tune to what Allison was singing earlier.

"We're... in the office area, aren't we?" The charts detailing appointments, and how everything was so much more tidy than everywhere else in the studio... it was different, but I knew I was right. "I... you must've seen Allison and Tom take me away, while you were injured. I'm not sure how long I've been down in this new level for." I refused to admit I was held captive. If Bendy ever did meet my new friends, I didn't want him going off on how I was already weak enough from being in the studio for so long. _At least the strange visions stopped._ "What do we need to do?"

"Pipes," came the reply. Bendy led the way to a door by a gated entrance labelled as the administration department. Swinging it open, I saw exactly what he meant. Pipes; pieces missing from a collection of them fitted into the wall. "The door further down in this room won't open until ya drain it. We're gonna need pipes to do that." He grabbed a switch on the wall, standing on his toes to reach it, and brought it down. "That ought to do the trick."

"I'd ask you if you could do the ink thing with your arm with the machine outside, but you're in no state for it," I added. Bendy seemed to be okay, but I didn't want to pressure him into helping me, not after all he'd done. We headed back to the main area, but I took pause at a desk off to the left, around a small corner. "Hmm..."

"Kid?" I stepped under the brighter, yet still dim lighting, and found a recording perched on a wooden chair. _Wonder what's on this one._ "You should check that later. We got pipes we need to deal with, remember?" Bendy sounded... unsure? _Is he scared?_ It sounded like he... he was. Something about the tape in front of me was putting him on edge, as I looked back to see him staring at the object with an emotion that I couldn't quite place.

"I understand, Bendy, but I need to hear this. We are so close to the end now, I can feel it. Perhaps now I'll finally get the clues as to what's been happening in this studio; why people were being changed, why... why my dad was asked to come back here." And with that... I pressed play. " **Progress report to Gent Home Office. Client: Joey Drew Studios.**

 **Although we're making progress, the client's expectations keep changing. What started as a machine to simply** **mold life-size figures, now seems be teetering on the edge of magic more than engineering.**

 **Although, Mr. Drew remains convinced they are the same thing.**

 **The process of running the cartoon film through the machine for the figures to imprint upon is going well. We've had several near successes.** " Blood slowly drained from my face as the man's words stuck inside my head, yanking at the clues and ideas already planted there. _The machine... the ink machine dad talked about... wasn't just for ink itself._

" **One weird note, the first figure ever created was a f** **a** **iled attempt in the likeness of the character called Bendy. Since that time, no other attempts of this particular figure have emerged.** **And the one that did, I dunno, there's just something... unworldly about him.** "

I... blanked. I didn't know how to respond to... to any of that. The ink machine... created life-sized figures-no. N-no, not figures. The machine created everyone. I-it created Bendy, and was what happened to Alice, and Allison, and Boris, and Tom. All of them were affected by the machine. W-was Boris a figurine? Was he a real person like the others? And... "oh no." I stumbled backwards, and felt my back run into the wall. "That... first success was... was...!"

"That reject runnin' around the studio." Bendy's voice was low, almost like a hiss. "He was the first, and the last." His black eyes snapped up to me from the recording, and I jumped a little as I was reminded of how close we were. "C'mon. I know where to get the ink."

Before I could get another word in, he trudged past me towards another opening outside of the small room; the one that was previously sealed shut. "B-Bendy?" I hurried after, still thrown off by the sudden change in behavior. What was that? Why did he get so angry over the tape? It was about Inky, right? Bendy made it clear just then he was the only one made, and so did the person on the recorder. _Then... then who the heck is walking with me? Did Bendy get created later on, or by some other method?_ "Or... no." _No. N-no, do not think that way, Kate._

Bendy was... no. H-he wasn't Inky. H-he couldn't b-"this way." I could hear the gargled voices of what I knew was the Butcher Gang in the maze of halls ahead, and found Bendy dragging me off to the left. He quickly shoved me into a small room, and closed the door quietly. On the outside, through a partially opened window, we watched as one of the trio wandered by. "Noise shouldn't attract 'em too much as long as it's not too loud. If we're quick about this, we can do this in one trip and gather enough ink."

"Yeah... okay." I felt my elbow connect to a small table beside me, and glancing down, saw another recorder on top of it next to a lit candle. _Bendy... is not Inky. He... he said that if he wanted me d... dead, he would've done so long ago._ He had been following me almost the very beginning, and not once had he shown any threat to my safety. H-he wasn't the Ink Demon. _He's not._

" **A small memo to all administration offices!**

 **Rumors have begun to fly that we simply can't tolerate any longer. The idea that the company is in some form of financial difficulty is untrue and a slanderous lie against us.**

 **It's also been known to me that some backroom incompetents are not trusting in my leadership. As a leader, I'm always steering the boat, guiding our destiny. Looking at the big picture. No need for you people to worry about such complicated things. Just do whatever it is you do and trust your leader... which is me.** "

"... the more I listen to these tapes, the more I see that my dad was right in leaving the company. The man is clearly insane." Bendy didn't respond to me, or the tape this time. He creaked the door open again, and when I saw him making his move, was quick to follow after him. "Bendy, wait up."

"If ya want to follow, then pick up the pace." His words were harsh. More bitter than usual. He slipped around a corner, and as I went to follow, found myself at a dead end. Two doors were on either side, and another recording sat on a table.

"Dang it, Bendy." I paused, listening for the little monsters roaming the area. Seeing that nothing appeared to be coming my way, I moved closer to the table. Things... weren't adding up, and yet... they were. Why was it that... every time Inky appeared, Bendy wasn't anywhere to be found? And the same went the opposite way. Neither were ever seen together. Bendy... he said that he wasn't like the Ink Demon, b-but went on to say that there was only one Bendy figurine made. Then how on earth did he come into creation? _And the same sound-that scream._ Inky never screamed, no, but his voice matched what I heard in the fight against my fallen friend. _The sharp claws ripping from his gloves, slashing at Boris' back in a fit of rage..._ "I... I need to know." _Sorry, pal._ _Even... even if it was for my safety, I... I need to know what's going on. I need to know who you are._

" **Listen Tommy. I know you boys over at Gent are doing your best, but I'm paying for living attractions, not weird abominations! Whatever that grinning thing was I saw wandering around your office, you better keep it locked up tight!**

 **I realize it was a first attempt but imagine if the press caught sight of it! Might scare off investors! And in response to your previous memo... if you claim your failures are because these things are soulless, then dang it, we'll get them a soul!**

 **After all, I own thousands of 'em!** "

Souls... that was it.

Alice, Sammy, Allison, and... the Gent worker... he was Tom the Wolf. Everyone in the studio was... scarified to the machine, all to get 'perfect' figures of his cartoons. _And... dad was...!_ "I... I'm going to be sick." I slapped a hand over my mouth, struggling not to throw up then and there. Those coffins I had seen way at the beginning... they were the workers. They were people dad had worked with, h-had befriended! Joey k-killed all of them, just for his own twisted financial gain!

Another gurgle came from the corner I last came from, and I hurried on my way through the maze once again. Finally, it appeared that I was at the far end, as the only thing left ahead of me was... Joey Drew's office. "Th-there's the... ink." The well was right on the left, ready for grabbing. B-but I couldn't. Not yet. I had to see if there was more. Th-there must've been more.

Wrapping a hand around the knob, I slipped into the office, closing the door behind me. The same turning wheels that greeted me at the very beginning, displaying the studio's name hung right above the empty desk. Dusty plaques hung on the chipped wallpaper, and a single recording sat in front of me. A lamp, still turned on, bathed it in an orange glow; the only light in the room.

I moved to the other side of the desk, and hesitated in pressing play. _I... need to know, Bendy._ " **I know how much this part means to you, Susie. Alice means a lot to me too. All my characters do! In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret.**

 **I too really believe my characters are more than just drawings. They're alive. They're part of us. And I want people to know them as well as I do. I want people to be able to shake their hand, spend an afternoon with 'em. Love them.**

 **Susie, I'll be straight with you.**

 **I'm putting together a small project... a little ceremony. If it works, a lot of dreams will come true. And I want you to be a part of it... I want you to bring Alice to life once again. What do ya say?** " I cupped both hands over my mouth, feeling the clammy skin press against my flushed face. I backed away from the table, running into the wall itself and disturbing one of the nearby frames. Rip out their souls... put them into the machine... and created the people and monsters I saw around me. _Then... what does that make the Ink Demon and Ben-?_

"I say..." the movement of my head was fast enough to possibly snap my neck, as I stared in terrified horror at the demon in the open doorway. There Bendy stood, a hand gripping his plunger... and looking ready to tear me apart. "... ya shouldn't have listened to those tapes, Katherine."

* * *

 **And such... there is only one tape that remains. Technically, two. But I figured there was no point in listening to Wally go on about a chocolate cake he found at night.**

 **Finals are approaching, and there's a ton of schoolwork to do too. I will be alternating between this and another story, so be wary of the next update time. I hope this chapter is up to standards because of that.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	29. Final Destination

**Disclaimer: Almost done, people. Home stretch!**

 **ksbKipper1998: Well, you're just going to have to wait two more chapters for that answer. I can't confirm or deny anything. Also, congrats! You're the 200th review!**

 **Curious Kit: Thank you!**

 **JustinTheSpider: Cue meme music.**

 **ultima-owner: From his dialogue, you can tell he has memories of Joey Drew. But whether or not he is Joey... you'll have to wait and see.**

 **foxchick1: Things are certainly going to be interesting, that's for sure.**

 **TazmaniaLizard: Nope. Odd, how so many people theorized before chapter 5's release that Joey was Bendy. That ending really got us confused. A lot of people have different takes on it, and it's hard to tell which one is right.**

 **Masked Freak: I know. I saw the video the moment it came out. I'm pretty sure the creator took inspiration from that.**

 **RainbowCelin: Just wondering, but have you been following along the game and this story? All signs point to Alice being Susie, and the new Alice as being Allison.**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

" **Reading** "

* * *

Bendy the demon... was ticked. Completely, and utterly, ticked. And I was backed against a wall, with him blocking my only way to get out. So... yeah, this wasn't going to end well for me. "... wh-who... who are you, Bendy?" My voice was nervous, barely loud enough for myself to hear. "Souls, and... the murdering of the workers... wh-who are you!?"

The demon stalked forward, letting the end part of his weapon drag along the floor. His brow was narrowed and dripping ink, almost covering his eyes, and the permanent grin his face was usually set in was every bit nerve-wracking. The thud, thud, thud echoed in the room, the tension thick as the ink within the studio. "You really shouldn't have listen to the tapes. I warned ya, kid. Listenin' to stuff that you got no business knowin'." He twirled the wooden stick until the heavy end landed into his alternate hand, creating a heavy thunk as it met the palm of his glove.

The sound struck a cord in my heart, and my breathing hitched. "N-no business? No business!? You idiot, it became my business the moment I entered this nightmare!" _Screw my composure! He has no right saying this!_ "I've been threatened, knocked out, and almost killed countless times! This entire studio has been my dungeon for I don't even know how long now because I have no way of keeping track of days anymore, my family thinks I'm dead, and I have a vicious bloodthirsty demon after me!" Bendy began to trek around one side of the table, the thumping of his off-white glove continuing in a steady beat as I shuffled the opposite way along the wall from him. That grin... it was not fading. Was it good? Was it bad!? I didn't know! "You never once gave me an answer as to who you are! For all I know, with all of the facts, y-you are him! You're the Ink Demon!"

Before he could respond, I sprinted for the door, and slammed it shut behind me in a bang. I heard the startled cry of the cartoon, grabbing a wooden board propped up against a box and putting it under the knob to prevent it from being opened. I hurried to the ink well, dunking my arms into it and grabbing several thick globs that stuck together. The excess dripped from my already stained skin, back into the basin beneath as the pounding of fists sounded from the other side of the only thing keeping Bendy away from me. Quickly backtracking through the maze as fast as my legs would carry me, the gargled cries of the Butcher Gang began to increase. _I am so doomed, dang it!_

The single box in the room, the same I had used countless other times in hiding, was my only hope. Shuffling the ink into one arm, I threw the door open and slammed it shut behind me. Dropping the ink blobs to the floor, I inched as far down as I could to the seat, hiding from view of the tiny window. Hands went over my mouth, and as I trembled, suddenly realized how... familiar, this scenario was. _This is just like Inky, all over again._

"Kid! Kid, where are ya?" The small demon's voice floated outside of my tiny sanctuary, and my fingers instinctively curled into my face, nails piercing my skin. "Kate, c'mon! Where are ya?" Small and quick footsteps danced around the floor, and the shrieks of the Butcher Gang flooded my ears with the sound of something striking them viciously. One by one, they disappeared, growing faint until all I could hear was rapid panting. _He... he killed them..._ _with a plunger_ _._ Oh, I hoped it was the plunger. "Where... are you...?"

A terrified squeak caught in my throat, breathing a little more shallow now. "Kate!" The shout was directed at me, and I knew he knew where I was. We had played this game before, and he could see it. But instead, this time around, it was him I was hiding from. It was him I was scared of. "Kate, you... you...! Urgh... fine." The sigh was deep, and filled with an emotion I couldn't piece together. "Fine. If ya don't wanna know the truth, and wanna put your ideals and trust on the tapes, then fine by me... but here this, kiddo. Don't be blamin' me when your throat gets torn out by his claws... you won't be so lucky next time."

The pounding of angry footsteps followed, and then... there was silence. No more speaking, and no more movement. It was absolute silent... and it scared me even more. Hands still on my mouth, I nudged the door open a crack with my shoe. _He... he's gone._ A gust of air left me, from holding it in for so long, and bent down to grab the ink I spilled. Even so, my shoulders were tense, and I was still on edge in case he or someone else returned. The machine wasn't that far from my hiding spot, thankfully, and it only took several turns to create all the right parts, but... oh, I could not stop thinking about it.

I... d-did I betray Bendy? I just-he was lying to me. All this time, he never told me the truth of the happenings within the studio. Everything, I was forced to figure it out myself. I-if I knew, then maybe I-I could've done something more for Boris, o-or Norman. But-but now... "now I'm... lost." _And... alone._ _I... I drove my friend away._ I snapped the final part into place, hearing the sudden draining of ink from the hallway to the left. _Someone who... helped me when I was starting to lose my mind, and I drove them away._ Even with all of the facts on my side... was I really right in pushing him away? After all that he had done, despite the possibility of him tr... trying to kill me, and everyone else? "Let's... just get going."

I opened the door, and ignored the inky sensation of black seeping into my shoes. Passing through the other door, I found a wooden room, and a massive vault door hanging off of its hinge to the side. "What... could have done that?" The inside of the vault was scarcely lit, and filled with boxes. The single light source hovered over a single box, and from the ink stain covering it... that was what I was aiming for. "Nothing in there though, so.. what about the one here?" Kneeling down, I pulled open the flaps of the box on the right of the stained one. Two roles of film sat inside, including another glob of ink. "Something... is missing."

"Looks like whatever was here was taken long ago..." I glanced over my shoulder, finding Tom and Allison had quietly entered the room. Getting to my feet, she moved past me to examine my findings.

"How did you get down here? Did you find another way?" An almost teasing look greeted me, and she gestured with a hand to her belt that held her machete.

"It pays to carry a rope... you should try it." I raised a brow at the slight jab, and rolled my eyes.

"Ah. Yes, well, excuse me for focusing on not dying first." Running a hand through the loose strands of black hair that came out of my braid, I turned to the only other pathway we hadn't taken yet. "I... think I know where we need to go... but it's not going to be a good time. The Ink Demon... is no doubt behind most of what's happening. Not all of it, no. No, Joey Drew is the true monster behind this entire operation. But... but Inky has something that we need, seeing how he must've been here... and I'm going to get it back."

"You want to go to his lair?" Allison asked incredulously. "Are you crazy?" Tom's face mirrored her words exactly, brow furrowed in confusion at my suddenly self-destructive idea. "That's death!"

"Yet the path for everyone's freedom goes to him." I moved to the door, and gripped the two metal sliding doors. I tried to pull them apart, but nothing happened. _Locked._ "Look, I want this to end. If... if you don't want to come with, then that's fine. B-but I'm tired of the lies, and the secrets. I need the truth behind this, and if I'm going to die in here... I'd rather die knowing why."

She didn't answer right away, and I was ready for the denial to come, but then... "well, it's probably close by... you're insane, you know that, right?" I nodded, and she moved to the door beside me. Insanity was what kept me progressing, after all. Without it, who knows where I'd have ended up. "This won't be easy to open. I'll need three gears, a crowbar... hmm, some kind of counterbalance-"

The door burst apart in a bang, creating just enough of a gap for us to slide through. We turned to Tom, who was shaking out his metallic hand with a smug look. "Huh... that was... hehe. Not bad, Tom." I grinned at the wolf, before shuffling through the entrance. The hallway split off a room-why did it look so much like the first floor? The projector, and cutouts, and... drawing table. "It's like we're back to the beginning," I whispered under my breath.

"This way." Allison took the lead from me, and we progressed down the corridor on the left. A foggy glass window kept us separated from another hallway, and just as we began to turn again to the left, her blackened arm stretched out in front of me. "Quiet. Don't make any noise..."

The Ink Demon. Tendrils of the black liquid seeped around the walls and ceiling around us, and Tom took out his ax just in case. His skeletal body limped past us on the other side, heading in the same direction we were. The heavy breathing, th-the same ink-filled sounds I heard whenever he was around crept through the cracks. Once he was further down the hall, we hurried down our section. _As if we're waiting around for him to come back._ As we did though, I spared a final look at the grotesque monster. He had paused, just before leaving my line of sight, and twisted his head to look out the glass.

Right. At. Me.

D-did he see me, and the others? I didn't know, but Allison and Tom both froze at the action. We all stood there, in place, waiting for someone to move. His head tilted to the side, grin stretching, before Inky began to continue along his path. _He's... heading wherever we're going, isn't he?_ The corner turned to the left once again, and an arrow pointing to the right with the word " **death** " greeted us. Every single part of me screamed, bellowed, to turn back. T-to get out of there as fast as I could, because what Allison had said earlier was right. I was entering his lair, and **he** knew it. He was waiting for me.

 _Yet... there's no point in running away now, is there? Not when I'm so close._ "... almost there." The wooden floor changed bit by bit into dirt once again, and opened up into a massive cavern. My footsteps had slowed dramatically, and so had my friends as we finally came out of the tight enclosed space. Two lights, mounted on high poles stood on either side of the ground, and in front of us... "the ink machine." The creation that had started this entire mess, that I had seen multiple times descending deeper, and deeper, into the studio was now finally taking its position atop a massive system. The giant nozzle, and all of the pipes coming in and out of it and the walls around it that had been carved to fit in the pipework... "it's a giant ink machine. This entire thing is supplying the ink to the entire studio."

"Wow! I've never seen this before!" Allison moved past me, and up to the edge of the dirt where it met the ink. Underneath the nozzle was a door with a few steps leading inside, open for whoever dared enter it. Ink poured down from the monstrosity, filling in the lake. "I don't see any way around... nothing to build a raft with."

"We'll just walk through it then," I replied as Tom and I moved over to her. "It doesn't look to deep."

The toon woman had a pained expression on her face as she turned to me, and shook her head. "We can't... we're not like you, Kate. If we go in there, well... a drop of water in the ocean is rarely seen again." They were beings made of ink. If they went into ink again, and especially this type... they would never come back.

"Then it's... just me again, isn't it? Heh... still have no clue why I'm here in the first place." I shook my head, eyes downcast and felt the-was I close to tears? _Why? Why am I crying?_ Was it because of how frustrated I was at this point, or was it that I might never see them again? _So... many questions._ "Why did he do this? Why did he do this to everyone? You, and Tom, and... everyone else... you were innocent. A-and yet he... he did this, for his own sick financial gain!"

Delicate fingers cupped my chin, and she lifted my head up to let my brown eyes meet her black ones. _Not black... grey._ They were not cartoon eyes, like Tom's, but human, just like my own. "You're here for a reason, Kate. There's always a reason! Even when you can't understand it. We may have lost our past, but with you... you can give us a future. It's time..." she released her fragile hold. "... set us free!"

"I'll... I'll try." Tom tapped my shoulder, and as I turned around, found a pipe trusted into my arms. "Oh. I was wondering if anything didn't fall into the pit with me." _Must've landed off to the side as I fell in._ "Thanks... Thomas." The snout of the wolf curved slightly upwards at the name, and I turned to the machine.

This was... it. The moment I entered there, the moment I passed through that door... there was no going back. When I had first entered the studio, I had no clue what I was doing...still not sure what I was doing, but things were getting clearer, and clearer the further I descended. Hard truths that no doubt my dad never knew, gained friends... and lost friends. _Is it... still here?_ I reached into my vest pocket, and ever so slowly, pulled out the Boris plush I had taken on my journey with me. After all of that, it was still there. _Boris... is still here._ I pressed my lips to the top of the toy's head, and returned it to its resting place. I would make him proud. Boris, and every other unfortunate soul trapped in this nightmare of Joey Drew. "Let's end this, once and for all."

* * *

 **Now, if any of you people have seen chapter 5, then you should know what's coming up next. Next chapter... everything I've done, all leads up to this. All of those guesses you guys have been making... you're about to see if you were right or wrong. Trust me, the truth of Inky is one none of you have actually thought of yet. Keep the guesses coming, and we'll see if anyone's close when I post it.**

 **Next chapter might be a while. Next week is a final, and I am panicking on trying to study to pull of a good grade. But still, I hope the wait will be worth it.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	30. The Last Reel

**Disclaimer: Here we go. Yes, chapter 29 greatly answered a lot of important questions, but this chapter... everything will now be figured out. The Ink Demon, Joey... everything leads up to this.**

 **ksbKipper1998: Sorry, but that's not it.**

 **Mister. Enigma: Well I don't entirely understand the second part, I will neither confirm nor deny anything about Joey. That's to remain a mystery... until this chapter.**

 **ultima-owner: How could Bendy be Henry, when we know he's back at his house? Bendy had been trapped in that studio for years.**

 **Curious Kit: Any answers you're looking for will be answered here. You can make guesses, but evidence is the key here.**

 **MarineDolphin: I'm a person of many OC stories. I do have several planned for the future that will not have any, but it's where my skills lie best. I create them based on personalities I've encountered, and make them as realistic as possible because no. No, I refuse to go Mary Sue. Hope this small wait was worth it!**

 **CureCaligraphy: It means a lot that you binge-read some of my stories. Thanks for that. Bending Reality is almost over, but I'm glad you were able to join us we finish it together.**

 **Masked Freak: Yeah, it's almost over, but you will see Kate again. Also, of course I'd give Kate a weapon. You think I'd let her go in there defenceless?**

 **RainbowCelin: What didn't you understand at first? In regards to the last part, I can't really give an opinion. It was such an odd bit that I have no idea of what to think. By no means is it his nephew or Bendy. For one, Bendy is definitely a stretched idea. And the voice seems to hint towards a girl.**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

" **Reading,** **and Inky's speech** "

 **And yes, bold is both of them. I made an exception before because bold speech was always so minor. Here though, since it's more used, I had to go the extra step.**

* * *

The hallway was suffocating. Tall and narrow, with very little lighting. Then again, the entire studio wasn't exactly the most bright place. Passing along, I took pause at the glass cases around me. Lost souls, inky remains, with torrents of the disgusting fluid being forced down upon them. _They're... are they drowning?_ I couldn't tell. Did ink beings like them die if they had no lungs, or mouths? _Yet, Sammy certainly appeared to have those things. I could... feel his breath on my face._

Grimacing, I pulled my weapon to my chest as I approached the lever. Whatever was on the other side of this metal door... it was not going to be pretty. I just... I hoped that my reaction from earlier, about the Ink Demon being the snappish yet friendly Bendy was wrong. "Please... let it be wrong." With that, I grabbed the handle, and pulled.

The doors split apart, leaving me to pass through a wider hallway into a circular room. "What is all... this?" _Whoa. I recognize these shorts._ In the dead center of the room was a chair-no. A throne. Three metal gears were stuck into a thick mess of ink, raising the seat high off the ground. A machine was set up on the left, no doubt to play all of the cartoons that were animated overhead. The Butcher Gang, Alice, Boris, and Bendy. Everyone in their lovable animated forms, acting out repeated clips from some of my favorite cartoons as a child. It was... nostalgic, and confusing, and terrifying, all at once.

Several projectors were stuck in the mass of ink around floor level, pointed up at the display screens. "Incredible..." I spun around to get a full view of it all, before my eyes landed back on the throne. Propped up against it, by one of the front legs, was a single recorder. _This is... the last one, isn't it?_ I would have to press play. For my answers, there was no other choice in the matter.

One foot at a time, I made my way up the steps. They tilted a little at my weight, but held firm. At the top, I spared a confused glance at a film reel laying against an arm rest in the throne before freezing at what now was clear to me. Two large handles stuck out from the top of the back of the seat, and looped together to make several dangling chains... were halos. _There were... other Alice Angels besides the ones I knew._ The sudden coldness in my blood wanted me to dart out of there, and get my friends on the other side of the machine as far away from there as possible, but... I pressed play. Bendy refused to answer me, and i-if... I wanted to see if it really was him, who was following and... trying to kill me, then I had no choice.

" **It's simply awe-inspiring what one can accomplish with their own hands.** **A lump of clay can turn to meaning... if you strangle it with enough enthusiasm.** **Look what we've built! We've created life itself, Henry**!" I inhaled sharply through my teeth, hearing the man call out my dad's name. Created? No. No, he didn't create anything. He destroyed life, and my dad would have never wanted a part in this. " **Not just on the silver screen, but in the hearts of those we entertain with our fancy moving pictures. But... when the tickets stopped selling... when the next big thing came along...** **only the monsters remained... shadows of the past.** **But you can save them, Henry**!" All at once, the depressing tone of the man peeled away, leaving an eerily cheerful demeanor. " **You can peel it all away!** **You see, there's only one thing Bendy has never known...** **he was there for his beginning**..." I tucked my pipe under my arm, and automatically, my hands went to grab the reel. " **...** **but he's never seen**..."

"... the end." My quiet whisper echoed Joey's words, as I turned the reel over. The label matched what he was hinting at, displaying the two words. Play the reel? That was... it? That seemed too simple. In my entire time in this studio, nothing was ever this simple.

As the recorder clicked off, an odd whistling sound broke through the air, and I looked up. "Aah!" I jumped back, stumbling down the steps onto the floor. Inky stood behind the throne, hands grabbing the back of it and staring down.

" **HeLlo, BowENs**." My scared face faltered at the use of my last name, and I managed to semi-calmly shake my head with my next words.

"... you know that I'm not him. You're clearly smart enough to know that." His dark and ink-filled throat chuckled, leering down at my much smaller form.

" **YeS. I Am QuiTe aWarE of whO youR faTher is. It is A Shame. I WaS Hoping for him to make his grand appearance**." His gargled words came out clearer as he went on, becoming the slightest bit more understandable. To be honest, I preferred him when I couldn't make out half of what he was saying. " **But... you will have to do**."

"Wh-why? Why this? Why all of this?" Inky drummed his fingers along the throne's leathery surface, watching my confused panic.

" **W** **hy? Isn't it obvious?** " He pulled back from the chair, and began walking around it towards me. His footsteps squelched in the ink, and I began pulling backwards. " **They were scared of me. I wasn't 'perfect' in their eyes, and deemed a waste. A malformed copy.** **And they shut me away, all 'cause they didn't want to ruin their precious image. The real kicker, doll, is that unlike myself, I got no soul. All of the others after me do, but me? I'm an empty shell**."

My back hit the wall, just by the edge of the hall where I could see the door was now closed shut. Was it his doing, or a timer? It didn't matter. I was trapped. Cornered by the Ink Demon. All retorts were caught in my throat, and I forced myself to throw out a response. "B-but just because you don't h-have a soul, doesn't m-mean anything! What d-did that dictate!?"

" **It means, that everything I learned, was due to their treatment of me. Haven't you ever been insulted? Yelled at, and told that what you were or how you behaved as an irregularity**!?" Inky didn't know it, but those words struck home. He seemed to get it though, and chuckled. " **I thought so.** **They locked me away, but he still feared me. Despite all of his experiments, I was the one thing he was unable to control**."

"Th-then... you were the only Bendy created, ri-right? So... who was accompanying me, a-and following me around the studio the whole time? That... was that you?" His head leaned back as he gave a loud laugh, and suddenly I really wished I kept that horrible fear to myself.

" **That pathetic waste of ink? No, that isn't me. B** **ut I suppose... he was, decades ago**." He wandered back towards the center of the room, and looked up at the cartoons playing around us. Their mute and cheery displays contrasted with the tension in the small room. " **When I was created, there was only darkness, and the ink. Whatever dripped off of my body would return to me, as I was its master. But the ink, as you no doubt am aware... is not normal. There's life in its substance. Corrupted magic. And eventually... those drippings gained consciousness**."

"You mean... the little demon that was... he was a part of you?" It made sense. It all made sense! Why he showed hatred for Joey, why he despised Inky and hated how I compared the two together. He always hid whenever the Ink Demon was around... "he was scared." I straightened up, holding the reel under my arm now and switching it out with my pipe. I pointed it at him, arm shaking at the realization. "He was scared... that you would kill him."

" **Hehehe... smart girl. Yes, I wanted him dead. What good is another me around, who could barely stand on his own two feet at the beginning? Unfortunately, by the time he was fully built, Joey had finally left the building, only to return every few years to check in.** **How cruel, isn't it? To have the perfect being that everyone wanted you to be, be born of the cartoon remains I emerged from? But... now we arrive at the real matter, kid**." His head snapped around to face me, and the blackened grin stretched. " **The heart of my problem... or should I say... soul**?"

His gaze, while I could not make out his eyes, flickered to the film reel. "I-I'm not gonna give this to you. Even though the concept of death by underwhelming object confuses me, I won't let you get it." The chuckle this time actually seemed more amused, no doubt from my word choice.

" **Still jokin' to the bitter end, I see? No matter. I'll tell you, Kate... n** **ot havin' a soul like all the others... it just ain't right.** **But perhaps... I'll get one after all**..." the ungloved hand of the demon reached forward, and grabbed my face with his index finger and thumb, forcing my head to look up at him. His skin was cold, slimy; a drastic difference from the smaller demon. " **I know you, Katherine. I've seen you behave around the studio. You, unlike the rest of the creators, loved this place.** **Your smiling face, joking about when you knew for certain we were trying to kill you... all I need is a soul to merge with me, and I'll finally be the cartoon people want me to be**!" I squirmed in the grip, and was brought up onto my toes. " **There was only one living soul left in this company, and since you came in his place...** **you're mine, now**."

He stepped back a final time as he shoved me against the wall, and his hands, one at a time, began to grow. The glove split apart in shreds of fabric, as his arms extended to inhuman size. My back was already to the wall. No where to run, and forced to watch the Ink Demon live up to his name. His horns increased several inches, and the claws I felt earlier were leaving gouges in the floor beneath him. Legs shriveled up as most of the ink his body was made of moved to his upper body, and the malicious grin was... gone. In its place... were fangs. Massive, sharp teeth, with the mouth going from horn to horn. Breathing was deep, and his head loomed high above me.

There was an ear-splitting roar, the smell of decay on my face, and I was sent soaring through the room and right through the wall itself into a corridor on the other side. The growls of the demon still filled my head, and I stumbled to my feet. "What... the hell?" I raised a hand to my head, feeling blood trickle down from a cut. The reel was still in one piece, which right now, was obviously the main thing. "I-I got to plug this in." The hole was too high up, leaving me no choice up to navigate the maze. A maze with that monster now actively hunting me down.

Lost souls were trapped once again in the display cases, watching as Inky stormed down hallway after hallway around me, hands used in place of his weak legs. It didn't slow him down, oh no. Not in the slightest. He was fast. Faster than he ever was before. Once he got to the wall he was aimed at, he vanished in one of his portals, only to reappear against somewhere else. "Switches, switches, got to pull them now!" Awkwardly tucking the pipe under my arm, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the seeing device. To my immense relief, arrows were drawn on the floor. "Yes!"

My feet were quick to push myself against the wall whenever he came running in, and while I struggled to juggle all three items, the light was making finding the switches much easier. At the last one, a door in my peripheral vision opened up, and I booked it just as Inky burst from the wall to my left. With a roar, his gnashing teeth brushed against the back of my vest as I entered the area just in time. Throwing the device back into a pocket, I brought the pipe back into my hand. Did I have a chance in actually fighting Inky? In his previous form, possibly. As that? I was silly, not stupid!

The small corridor opened up to another new door, just wide enough for me to slip in. Two Bendy cartoons played in the back of the room, as the same message I found in Boris' sacrificial room were written in between the shorts. Four glass tubes stood in the corners of the room, empty. A single wheel was by the question, which meant that it had be cranked. "He's going to enter the moment I do so... here we go." Turning it was easy enough, and instantly, the glass tubes were filled with ink, flowing upwards into the studio. As I predicted, the Ink Demon crept from the wall across from me, head searching around before finally finding his target. _Wait. How am I supposed to get away now!?_

Inky rushed me, and I dove behind the nearest tube. Balancing on one arm, he swung out to grab me, and smashed the glass to shards. Screaming, I sprinted across the room to the nearest one, feeling the material rain down on me and leave small but painful cuts along my arms and face with the ink spraying into the air and over me. The liquid burned at my wounds, and I bit down on my lip as my shrieks slowed down. My breathing was evident of my small injuries and the absolute terror I was feeling, and I manage to have the malevolent cartoon follow after me. The sound of smashing glass met me way too soon, and I heard him cry out as his own hands were cut up from the impact.

I ran for the third, diving behind it and pressing my back against it. The Ink Demon gave a frustrated roar, and slammed a fist into the frame. It shattered, just like the others, but as I went to run to the fourth and final one, his fist lashed out.

I had been in pain. A lot, since I had entered Joey Drew Studios. The terrible and confusing visions, falling from heights, the scare of passing out and waking up in a summoning circle, having to battle my friend for survival... none of that could compare to the moment three claws ripped into my neck, and splayed the area red.

I couldn't tell if I was screaming, because almost everything was muted in that moment. The blood rush, and adrenaline; I-I couldn't think straight. I collapsed onto the floor in a heap, pipe and reel sliding out of my arms and cupping both of my hands around the tears in my flesh. Tears rose in the corners of my eyes, whimpering. "Emm... mmm...!"

" **You best be sayin' goodbye, Katherine Bowens! 'cause that soul is mine**!" Body curled up, bleeding out as the beast loomed over me... there wasn't much else I could. I was doomed to either be ripped to bloody pieces by the monster, or bleed out there as he watched in sadistic glee. The sound broke from the melody of ink pouring across the floor as he roared, ready to land the final blow. _I'm... sorry, Allison. I wasn't able to fulfill your wish._ The blackened hand was right above me, ready to snap my head off, until a roar broke through my thoughts. _Why..._ _is he_ _... huh?_

Thoughts jumbled in my dizzying state, I blearily brought my head up. The Ink Demon was thrashing his head around, swiping at something clinging to his face and tearing its claws into him. The creature jumped off of Inky, landing right in front of me with arms outstretched just as I had seen the him do before giving chase. The newcomer was tall and lanky, dripping ink to the point it looked like its head was barely attached to its body, and growling right back in a clear warning to try and come any closer. "I... Ink..." I started to say the name, but then saw the creature wasn't as skeletal as who I thought he was. There were no clear signs of ribs or spinal cord. Four fingers... and a more finished appearance. _There's... there's only one..._ "B-Bendy...?" One hand over my neck, the other pushed me up off the floor to see his face. Shoulders trembled in rage, breathing just as harsh as the beast in front of him. But at the sound of the name, his head turned just enough for me to catch a widened grin at the sound of the name. "You... came for me."

He nodded, before facing down the Ink Demon. " **Run**." Scrambling around the floor to grab the pipe and reel, I hurried to the only over possible exit. Bendy and Inky clawed at each other, howling shrieks of unbridled rage and fierce protectiveness, and smashed into the final tube. The door began to creak open, and I wasted no time in hurrying through the tiny gap before the beast could get wise.

The door led right back to the entryway of the throne room, with the previous exit still blocked off. I scrambled towards the machine, taking the reel out from under my arm and letting the crimson liquid flow freely. My head was buzzing, and I felt weak, but all attention was on this. Up the three steps, and glancing from the item to the machine, I gave one final hopeful prayer before pushing it in.

It began to spin, loading the contents. A roar from behind me sent me twirling around to find Inky stalking out of the door, and began to quicken his pace towards me. Bendy must've done a number, as his movements were not as fast as earlier. Darkened gouges were evident on his arms, and ink squirted from a missing bottom fang. He almost reached out for me, only for a sudden bright light to appear out of the corner of our eyes. " **The end**." _The reel... the end credits._ Inky hesitated in his attack, turning around to stare at the words before returning to me. Another click, and the slide on the right of me showed the same card. Bright light shone from the cartoony lettering, and he flinched back with a hiss.

The next moment, all of the cartoons showing all of the happy characters vanished in a loud click. " **The end** " was shown all around the room, and everything went the same distorted flashes of color from days ago. I would be panicking, had it not been for the demon on his deformed knees screeching in pain as spots of light boiled along his body. Head lowered, he had to will himself to look up at me. " **You... YoU**!" With what strength the reel hadn't taken a way, Inky lunged at me in one last desperate attempt. One arm was reached out, wanting to grab at me. Pieces of his horns fell away, and legs were completely rendered immobile. The sight was horrific, and tragic. " **ThIs iS mY WorLD** **MiNe! You Can'T taKE it awAY frOm m** **E**!"

"Just did." I grabbed the pipe with both hands, and as he threw himself at me with his mouth wide open in a last-ditch effort, I brought down my weapon on top of his head. The metal went through the ink, and I heard the metallic clang as the end met the gear step just below my feet. The body vanished in a burst of bright light, and then... silence. The small noise of the projectors continued to play in the background, but that was it. It was all over... and... I-I won. I killed the Ink Demon. "Heh... hehe... I did it, Boris... I-I did it." Footsteps met my ears, and the taller and darker version of my toon friend walked out from the other hall. His head turned in my direction, and I nodded. "B-Bendy, I... I..."

I collapsed.

Adrenaline was shot, and I stumbled forward and began to roll off the ink mound. Skinny arms were quick to grab me, showing Bendy had run over to catch me. He sat on the top step, shaking me. "Kid? Kid, you gotta stay awake now, okay? You can't fall asleep."

"B... Bendy... y-you... came b-back for... me." A gloved finger was pressed against my mouth, preventing me from saying anything more.

"I gotta look after my kid, don't I?" His grin was strained, more than it ever was before. "C'mon, you're... you're gonna be alright." The same hand moved to my neck, and I knew he was checking for a pulse. His grin dropped, looking from where two fingers were pressed back to my paling face.

"... it's alright, Bendy. I... did what I wanted... to do, right? I s-saved everyo-one." My vision had all but blurred out at this point, and I knew I was hardly hanging on. "Heh... hehe..."

"Kate?" Bendy's head lifted upwards, as we heard the banging on the other side of the door. "Are you in there? Please, let us in!" The demon maintained his hold on me, but didn't budge. "Kate!"

"L-let them... in... they need to see me, Bendy." He sighed, before sliding his arms around me and picking me up. If it were his smaller size, I imagined all he could do was drag me. Like this though, he was carrying me like I weighed nothing; a bridal carry, as it was the only way to not strain myself any further. Approaching the door, he carefully juggled me and placed a hand where the two doors joined together. I could faintly see the ink sliding off his glove, going in between the cracks and began to open the doors.

"Kate-you!" The desperation in calling my name switched to anger and fear as Allison's eyes locked onto Bendy, and pulled out her machete. Right behind her, Tom brought out his ax, looking from his 'enemy' to my bloodied and inky figure. "What have you done to her?"

"I didn't do nothin'... and you got the wrong toon, Allison." She glanced from him to me, and I managed a nod to confirm her suspicions.

"B-Bendy... protected... me. The d-demon... killed." Allison sheathed her weapon, and rushed through the door. She still was wary of being that close to the demon, but at the moment, most of her attention was on the three massive tears in my skin.

"I don't-Tom, do we have anything that could stitch it back up?" The wolf's expression was pained, and he shook his head. The admission seemed to strike a cord in her, and she turned back to me. "Kate, you're... going to be fine."

"... you... don't need to... lie, Allison." I smiled up at her, and gave a giggle. Was it being on death's door that was making me act a little loopy? The blood affecting my thinking? Maybe. "I... there's no... need f-for lying a-anymore." I leaned into the hold the demon had on me, my head resting against his chest. "Ju... just for a... few... minutes..."

"Kate!" My vision was all but gone now, and I heard her shout beside me. "She's not going to survive if we don't do something in the next few minutes. Do you have any ideas?"

"I don't..." Bendy was silent, and I felt his grip on me tighten. "... you're gonna be fine, okay? Don't worry, Katherine. You're gonna be just fine in a few minutes. I'll be right back." A chill swept over me, and I heard the fast pace of feet underneath me. Allison called out behind him, but he didn't stop. Lights were dimmed, and the sound of rushing ink into the chambers were the lost souls were had stopped. Why were we leaving the room? Where were we going? "Keep still."

I gave a harsh cough, feeling the blood flow faster from the pressure. Keep still? Why did I need to keep still? What was he doing? "B... Bendy, what are you...?" He was climbing, holding me as he scaled the outside of the gigantic ink machine. The contraption itself had stopped flowing ink at this point, showing the lever of liquid around the base to be much lower. Bits of brown flickered in my vision as I peered directly below. Two wooden boards, which were possibly how Allison and Tom got over to the other side.

Upon reaching the top, I felt Bendy hold me in bridal fashion again. My breathing was sloppy, gasping for any air I could find, which he took notice. "We're almost there, kid. Just a little while longer." His voice... it was scaring me. Hopeful, and heartbroken, at the same time. I could barely make out his face, but the part that I could identify, was the grin twisted into an uneasy frown. "Kate... do ya trust me?"

Did I... trust him? "I-I... I..." Bendy, despite not having to, came back for me. Even after I yelled at him, calling him that horrible monster, he came to save me. He saved me... so many times. _I just... I..._ "do, Bendy. I... I trust you." There was a metal clang, and I was lifted up. Something warm pressed against my forehead, vanishing just as quickly before it appeared... before I was slipped into the inky void once again.

It wrapped around me within seconds, holding me close as darkness choked me, stinging and biting at my wounds. Whispers flooded in my ear, saying everything would be fine. Did I believe them? Should I believe them? I was dying anyway, and they... sounded welcoming. Comforting. There was no cold this time, but warmth. There was the feeling of it snaking around my neck, tickling at my mouth. My lungs couldn't hold in the faint bit of air any longer. Eyes couldn't open, yet I could see the spots dancing in them. _I... trust you... Bendy._ My mouth at last opened from the pressure, letting myself become one with the ink and poison my organs... and I finally knew no more.

* * *

 **Well, there you go. The largest chapter of Bendy... and I went and killed Katherine. You're welcome!**

 **And now, you also know the truth of our dear Bendy and Inky. Hope that satisfies your theories. Next time... might be a while. Next week holds two finals, so I'll leave you all on a cliffhanger for the time being. Have fun, and until next time!**

 **Angel**


	31. Broken Chains

**Disclaimer: Okay. I was going to wait a while before posting the next chapter, but after seeing everyone's reviews, I figured it would be wise to respond to them as fast as I could, seeing I left you all in suspense.**

 **MarineDolphin: Kate isn't the first character of mine I had suffer. Trust me, the borderline death scene of my most popular OC shook a lot of people. I am... evil. I'm glad you liked the twist with Bendy. I had that idea in mind for a while, and I'm pretty proud that no one was able to figure it out.**

 **TazmaniaLizard: The fight scene was pretty great, but my favorite part was having Kate bring down her weapon and stab him straight through his head.**

 **CureCaligraphy: What do you mean by not-so-hopefully? As for Kate... you'll have to keep reading. I'm not making it clear she turned into a cartoon, and I'm not making it clear that she survived either.**

 **Curious Kit: Frankly, no one expected that. You really think Kate would've gotten out of the studio without severe injuries?**

 **ultima-owner: Yep. That's the idea.**

 **PoisonCupcake101: That was the end of the chapter, not the end of the story. Ending it just like that would require me to edit the entire chapter and would throw off everything I had planned for a sequel in another story, not to mention leaving unanswered stuff in this story such as Henry himself and the fate of the toons.**

 **RainbowCelin: Why exactly was the ending odd? I thought I did a pretty good job with it.**

 **Masked Freak: Well... I'm sort of killing Kate.**

 **Guest: Thanks!**

 **By the way, if anyone takes notice, I removed that AN between the game chapters 3 and 4 announcing the edits. Don't really need that there anymore, do we?**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

* * *

...

Cold. It was... cold. Lifeless, stretching ever forwards and backwards.

...

Where was I, exactly, hidden away? It was suffocating, ever-changing, and filled with whispers. Voices that were... familiar. Y-yes, they sounded familiar. But where though? Where did I hear them before?

"... o... or...!"

A cry. A shout. That was not a whisper, and it sounded... like it was outside the pitch black. Outside where they were trapped, hidden away. Creaks, and bangs. Furious pounding echoes around the darkness. "T...! He... et it o...!" The noise grew louder, until... movement. A sudden pulling forward, with the sound of grinding gears dancing around the abyss, filling my ears. It pulled, and pulled... and then... there was light. Warmth, and... hands. Scraping the darkness away, letting the warmth touch the tainted skin underneath and to allow the desperate breath to enter in. The air was much sweeter than the darkness. More freedom, and less choking. "Did... did it work?"

"That was a dangerous risk you put yourself and her in. We don't even know if your ridiculous plan even worked."

"Well, we're 'bout to find out." Something warm brushed against my face, breaking through the thin shell of cold still clinging to me. _My... face. I was... I...?_ "Kid?" The word was soft, concerned and hopeful. As if the next part, the answer, would mean everything to him. "Kid... answer me, is that you?"

I lifted my head upwards, and slowly, the black drifted away. Spots speckled my vision, but I could see a black and partially white face stare me down. Eyes that were not human stared deep into my own, dripping strands of ink running down off of his small and shaking body. _I... I don't...?_ Sniffles came from the creature, and I felt arms wrap around me. Shudders raked through him, and fingers dug into my limbs. "C-c'mon, kid, please. Y-you can't forget, okay? You gotta-you're alive, a-and I just-!" He didn't seem to know what to say, stumbling over his words. "Please, K-Katherine, don't forget! You can't forget about me!"

 _K... Katherine? That's... why is that... familiar?_ I shifted in the arms, and glanced over at him. Suddenly, without warning, the invisible lock was undone, and they were thrown at me; like a furious and unrelenting waterfall crashed down inside my head, flashes of images and lights scorched me from the inside-out. I sucked in a sharp breath as my body almost gave out, earning a startled shout from the figure. _These are my... memories? That one time... after the elevator was...?_ "B... Ben... dy?" The grip suddenly tightened, and a rush of air left the cartoon as he gave a choked laugh. "O-ouch...!" He leaned back, but not once did he let go. "Wh... what happened? Why is... everything all... fuzzy?"

"Oh, kid! I thought we lost you!" I tilted my head, and looked behind his floating one. A wolf and a... human-no. No, she was a toon like Bendy. A-Alice... Allison was her name. A-and the wolf was Tom. _Not... Boris._

"You don't remember anything, do you?" Her voice was cautious, worried.

"I... it's returning slowly." The memories were a mess, all jumbled together, and I began to shuffle through them like a playing deck. "I... I think I... did I really stab the Ink Demon through his head?" Bendy chuckled at the response, and nodded. He adjusted himself to my left, letting his right arm loop over my shoulders.

"You finished him off for good, toots. Heh... something none of us have been able to do for years." I... Allison said I was... the hope, right? Did that... prove her idea? "Something I haven't been able to do." He shook his head, before moving on to another topic. "But how do you feel? Are you alright?"

"I am... I feel... fine?" I felt cold, but that could be because my entire body was covered in ink as well, same as him. Why was I covered in ink though? Did I slip and fall somewhere? _And... why does my neck hurt?_ I lifted my left hand, reaching up to my neck and feel deep tears in the skin, three of them several inches long. From my jaw, down to my collarbone... what the heck happened to me?

My scared and silent expression made Bendy's grin drop, and he sighed. "I'm sorry, kid, but he got you bad. Before I was able to step in, he managed to almost tear your neck open. The blood loss was too much, a-and... Kate, why do you think you're covered in ink?"

"Because I..." the idea struck me, and I sucked in air through my teeth. N-no. No, no, no. That was-that couldn't have happened. That didn't happen. I didn't-I couldn't have-! "I... I died, didn't I?" I slowly turned around, and Bendy joined me in staring at the machine behind me. I-I was sitting in the tray right below the spout, and the ground around me was stained in ink just like the two of us. "You... didn't... did you?"

"... I couldn't just let you die, Katherine. I couldn't." His arm slipped from my shoulder, and went to grab for my hand. "You were bleeding out in my arms, smiling like everything was fine because you freed us. Y-you didn't even care what happened to you at that point. But you treated me like a person, Kate. Not a monster like everyone else had. You actually cared, and I-I couldn't let you go." His grip hurt a little, but I let him stay there. _He needs this, doesn't he?_ Yes, I-I was mentally torn to bits over everything I went through, and the times of comfort he was able to give me helped pull me along. I... didn't think that... I meant so much to him? _Bendy... how lonely were you, in this forgotten place?_ "I hate Henry, y'know? For leaving this place, while we were subjected to this disaster, but do ya really want him to find out his daughter was murdered in the same place he managed to escape from?"

"You... put me in the ink machine." The idea... that I d... died... it felt surreal. It was lke a bad dream, one that I hadn't fully waken up from. I could recall the fight, and when Inky slashed my neck... but I could barely think straight after that. Everything was a blur, a hazy mess. Bits and pieces were there, but they hadn't been stitched back together. Was this like what happened to Alice, when she was put through the machine? Voices, parts of your memory there and not there? _Then... if I was put in the machine... what does that make me?_ "Bendy, am I a cartoon now?" I brought my other hand to my chest, right where my heart was. "What... who am I?"

Bendy paused in answering, before releasing my hand to move in front of me. He stood up in between Allison and Tom, the three watching my soon-to-be reaction. _So am I supposed to figure it out myself?_ The ink had mostly run off me, and I finally got a good look at my arms. Black skin, just like Allison's, except my nails were similar to Bendy's when he attacked Boris and the Ink Demon. Long and sharpened claws, that were by no means anything close to human. The blackened skin faded just above my elbows to spots, until my normal pale skin was visible. Tears in my jeans showed the same skin change, and quickly rolling up a pant leg showed it also ended just above my knees. "What... else is there?"

Bendy pointed at the top of his head as I rolled the pant leg back down, poking at one of his horns. Slowly, I brought my own hands up, ready to feel nothing but black hair. There was... something on my head. Two somethings, one on either side, and it felt like they came to a soft point. "Are these...?"

"Horns. Black, and by the looks of 'em, and made of ink." I dropped my hands as if they were touching fire. "If you went into the machine, you'd be just like all the others. Losin' your real form, risked losin' all your memories... risked losin' what made you... you. I... went in with ya, kid. I put myself into the machine to keep you together." He did what? _The... the warmth._ There was... stretching my mind as far back as I could... I remembered something telling me it was all going to be alright. That even in the void, things would be okay. _Was that Bendy?_ "You already know I can't get damaged by the ink."

"So I'm... part Bendy?" He nodded. "You did all of that... for me?" Even with the skin change, and the... claws and horns... I was still me. I-I was still me. They came to save me, e-even if they didn't have to. _Even... after everything I did to him, he still came back for me._ "Th... thank you. Thank you so much."

"Heh. Don't be gettin' all weepy on me, kid. I think we've both done enough of that in the past few hours." I giggled through my own building waterworks, managing to stop them as Bendy advised. Allison walked forward, and grabbed my arm. Gently, she pulled me to my feet, and slung the appendage over her shoulder. My legs were weak, and most of my weight was on her to keep from falling over.

"How did you all get up here?" We were still at the top of the giant machine, and I couldn't recall how Bendy managed to get me up there in the first place.

"We found a stairway that led up here, and had to walk across the pipes to reach you." She pointed off to the left, showing a hole in the wall where a large pipe stretched out. "He decided to carry you up the machine itself."

"You... okay. I... guess that makes sense." I didn't deny the small demon was strong, but he must have been using his claws to scale it while still managing to hang onto me. No way was any other method going to allow him to ascend without slipping. "Does that mean... everything's over?"

"Wish it'd be that easy," Bendy grumbled. "But I can't see how you're gonna get outta here now. We're at the pit of the entire studio."

"Pit?" I looked at the machine, seeing the chains still attached to it. "Hmm... this thing was at the top floor of the studio, when I first put in the power cells. Couldn't we just use this to bring us back up?" I tilted my head back, and sure enough, I could see the faintest bit of sunlight high above us.

Tom moved over to it, and grabbed a chain to examine it. He nodded to himself, and turned back to Allison. "You really think so?" He nodded, and pulled out his ax. "Okay. Kate, get ready."

"Okay." It was awkward, getting me atop the machine, but the four of us soon gathered around the one chain Tom was focused on. "How is this going to work?"

"Cut the chain, and the momentum should fling us back to the surface," Bendy replied. He gripped the blackened metal, as the rest of us did the same. Tom's arm was behind him, holding the ax and awaiting the signal. Allison's arm was wrapped around me, holding me close in case I accidentally fell off. _And I really don't wanna be doing that._ "Ready?"

He nodded, and brought it down on the hook where it attached to the device that started it all. The bang echoed around the room, and at once, the chain began zooming upwards without anything to weigh it down. Our combined mass apparently was nothing against the hunk of metal we left behind, being pulled past floor after floor with the rushing wind blowing through Allison's and my hair. Some spots, as we soared by, I could identify, despite the blurred vision of being hurled upwards. The giant hole at the end of the tunnel with the hands, the few spots I saw it as I traveled towards Alice and away from Sammy. It was like a rewind button. One giant rewind button, bringing us back to where it all began.

"What happens when we get to the top!?" I shouted over the noise. "We're gonna hit the ceiling!"

"Get ready to jump!" Allison yelled back. "Here it comes!" I hugged my arm around her tighter, and just as we flew past the final floor, back into the light from far below, we hurled ourselves off of the chain. The metal flew upwards, crashed into the ceiling and shattering part of a beam, before sailing back down into the dark below. The four of us tumbled across the wooden walkway below the balcony I had stood on days before, knocking over a barrel and sending it rolling to the side. "Is everything okay?"

"My heart is going nuts and I don't even have one," I groaned, rolling into a seated position and staring at the void we just emerged from. "We... we're almost out."

"Just a little bit more, kid." Bendy pushed himself to his feet, and this time, Tom went to help me stand up. A box was pushed against a broken part of the railway overhead, and we used it to climb back up to the above floor. Several solid swings of his ax took down the boards the Ink Demon had put up when I first started up the machine, and we slowly began to wander through the halls. Ink no longer poured down through the busted pipes, but the puddles remained. Soiled posters, and splintering walls and ceiling; everything showed how furious and sudden everything changed. _Everything... changes._ "Kate? You doin' okay there?"

"I just... things are going to be different now, the moment I step outside that door." I reached into my pocket, and sure enough, my little Boris was still there. Soaked in ink from the machine, but nothing some bleach couldn't fix. "I kept my word, but I... I didn't expect this to happen to me." I was dead. I was speaking, and walking around, but I was in the same boat as Tom and Allison. I was saved by the machine, but ultimately, it was what killed me in the end.

"Heh... neither did I, kid. Neither did I." The hole I fell through was the only thing separating us from the outside world. Just as it was the last time I had seen it, it remained open the slightest crack, highlighting the dust particles floating lazily in the air. Allison backtracked for a moment, and returned with a long plank of wood. She placed it over the hole, and very carefully placed a foot on it to test its stability.

"It should hold." She went across first, only needing two steps to do so. Tom followed, with me right behind him, and an almost reluctant Bendy brought up the rear.

"Is something wrong, Bendy? I would've thought you'd be the happiest to be out of the studio." I looked down at his face, trying to make sense of his grin.

"I've been in this place for more than thirty years, you know that. I've all but given up on tryin' to get out. By the time I was... this, everyone was gone. All that remained was Joey, the poor saps he killed, and the monsters." His hand grabbed for my left one, eyes looking at the floor. "... what if Henry doesn't like me anymore?"

"Bendy... dad is going to love you." His head lifted up to meet me, and the grin finally showed actual emotion. Hope and relief, with the small twinge of nervousness. "Well, guys... let's go."

I grabbed the knob, and pulled it open.

Green. The outside was green, full of life, and color. Warm sunlight hit us as we stepped out onto the overgrown path, and I took my time to observe everyone's reactions as the door closed behind me. Closing, and marking the end of decades of nightmares. Allison looked awed, speechless as Tom smiled at his companion's face. Bendy was equally stunned, looking at the tall grass off to the side swaying in the breeze. The sun was behind the pine trees across the road, but was still high enough to warm us. No more cold. No more fear. We were out. "We're free, everyone. We're finally going ho-"

There was a car. A truck, to be specific, parked right in front of my vehicle along the edge of the road. The sound of a door closing came from the driver's side, and quiet footsteps thumped against the paved road. "You." Bendy hissed the word, and it took me a moment to understand why.

A man, definitely older than my dad stood at the foot of the walkway. He had a slim mustache and thinning grey hair, blue eyes that bore emotions I severely didn't like, and a cane in his right hand. "Ah. It appears that I was right after all." He had a thick western accent, and began to slowly make his way towards us. In turn, we did the same. But unlike his small smile, none of us copied the expression. I knew who he was. I knew exactly who he was, and what he did.

"Joey Drew," I all but spat out the name. "Were you expecting me, or... were you expecting my dad?" He grimaced at the clear venom, knowing from just that one line that I knew what he had done. "Don't bother saying anything to dissuade my anger. I know what you did."

"We all do," Allison added, crossing her arms. Joey looked over all of us, but his eyes stopped at Bendy, stunned. _Right. He never knew about him._

Oh, but Bendy knew all about Joey, and he had a few choice words for the man. "You left me. You left everyone here, all for yer sick twisted attempts to make it big. Ya drove everyone into the ground, manipulated them, killed them-all ya had to do was accept that things weren't gonna be perfect! But ya didn't like that, did ya? No, you had to have everything as great as it could be! Ya locked me away to rot!" He released my hand, arms shaking at his sides and voice dipping in and out of a lowered octave. _Bendy... he didn't fully separate from Inky until a fair amount of the workers were dead. He considers himself in the same boat as him apparently, being put away for so many years._ "And ya have the audacity to come back here after tricking Kate to clean up your mistakes!" The man was silent through the rant, giving a regretful frown. Thankfully, for his sake, Bendy had run out of steam, and crossed his arms just like Allison with a huff. "How'd you know we'd be here?"

"Your dad, actually." He directed the reply to me, and I let myself actually be taken back by it. My dad had gone to Joey looking for me? "Henry had gone around, trying to find out where his daughter had vanished, and eventually came to me. Now, when I found myself being paid a visit, I realized that you had gotten the letter. Told him I'd do what I could to help, and came back up to the old studio." He finally looked away from Bendy, giving me a small smile. "You look a lot like your dad when he was your age."

"Bet I get some of his personality from him too." _Deep breathes, Kate. As much as you want to punch him, and I bet Bendy would love to as well, attacking an old man who can barely walk is not your style._ "Along with the ability to hold a grudge. For a very, very long time. We'll never forgive you for this, you know that, right? I was only doing what had to be done; to bring anyone who wanted freedom away from his nightmare you created." I could go on forever, but I had no words that could even come close to the amount of hatred I held for him. For what he did to every single one of the people of Joey Drew Studios. I was just... so... so tired.

"I understand. Henry never forgave me either, and I didn't expect any of you four too do the same. Just know that I'm thankful for what you did." _He's not thankful._ His eyes held annoyance, and hatred at what I had been able to do. He wanted me to kill the demon-which, yes, I had done-but that was it. He had not expected anyone to come back out. He had not expected Allison, or Tom, and especially not Bendy to come out with me. _Not one bit. He just wanted dad to clear away the 'imperfections' left behind._ And Bendy... was not an imperfection, no matter how he was created. I didn't want to listen to anything else he had to say any more, as my patience was being tested every second I stood there.

With my head held high, and eyes locked onto what laid ahead, I guided my friends past him towards my ride. I could see Joey begin to shuffle around, making eye contact with the three of them. Honestly, I was amazed Bendy was controlling himself so well. If he wasn't so exhausted, he'd more than likely attack the man.

My key, surprisingly, still sat in my pocket in one piece. The car was covered in leaves, but those would come off once I started driving. Allison climbed into the passenger seat, as Tom and Bendy got into the back. The back windows were tinted, which was why I had Allison in the front. She was the most human-looking out of all of them. "Buckle in." As I strapped myself in, I looked back at the path. Joey stood in the center of the studio, his studio, watching us prepare to leave. _A crooked man with a crooked empire. Now... a sad old man with a building full of regrets._ It was a sad sight, but I held no pity for him. He brought this upon himself, and it would weigh upon him for the rest of his miserable, lonely life.

 _At least one good thing came out of all of this._ "Hey, Kate. We goin' or what?" I chuckled, and looked at the mirror to see the demon's excited grin.

"Yeah, yeah." Tom's usual seriousness broke through, giving a pleased smile as he watched me exchange a nod and smile with Allison while adjusting my mirrors. _I finally did it, Boris. I hope you're proud, wherever you are._ "Time to go home."

* * *

 **Only two chapters left of Bending Reality. Home stretch!**

 **More description of Kate will come. It's just hard to describe someone when they don't really know what they look like now.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	32. Welcome Home

**Disclaimer: Okay. Because I probably created some confusion, let me say this first.**

 **I deleted the author's from chapter 17. This triggered an update status and all of the chapters readjusted themselves. A day after that, I posted the next chapter, which is the aftermath of Kate being put into the ink machine. Because the chapter number is now the same, some people might come to read this and not even know about the other chapter.**

 **CureCaligraphy: Always was, always is, always will be. That's what he gets for tampering with things that should be left alone. And yes, Henry is on his way for his first appearance outside of flashbacks.**

 **TazmaniaLizard: Indeed, they are free! The nightmare is finally over!**

 **GameFan 335: Nobody did see it coming. Some thought Inky was Joey, some thought they were the same. But the way I did it was something no one expected. If Inky was treated better, he might have survived. Sadly, we blame Joey for that.**

 **So, if none of what is about to be shown makes sense, jump back a chapter and read it. It's very important, and we got to meet Joey Drew.**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

* * *

The drive was mostly silent, except for the sound of the demon bouncing in his seat while watching the greenery sail by. I lived on the outskirts of town, and we didn't have any close neighbors, which meant no one was going to see us once we got out of the car. On the topic of our impending arrival; what was going to happen next, once I got home? How would mom and dad react to them? Two of them were workers from his past, and the other...

 _And what of me? Their daughter, who d... died, and is now a cartoon?_ "You're stressin' too much, kid." I looked up at the mirror, seeing Bendy give me a disapproving look. "You're fidgetin' in your seat. It's gonna be fine, alright? Relax." He paused to think something over, and his grin seemed to tighten. "And you're not a complete toon either. That's still your body and soul. Ya just got... somethin' different now." _By different, he means the black limbs and horns._

"How did you even know I was thinking about...?" Bendy chuckled bitterly, and rested against the fabric of the back.

"Kid, when you think you're half of me, that's a really close answer. I kept you from bein' turned like all the others, and me bein' there with you is what led you to gettin' those horns and... possibly a few other extra stuff we'll figure out along the way. Who knows if you're able to vanish into the ink or not. Anyways, because of that, well... you're part me. A little in the same way I was part of him." Him... meaning the Ink Demon. "Not like I can read your thoughts or anything-that'd be a little too weird-but we're essentially joined together. Certain feelings towards certain things, a bit of a link as to where the other is-why do ya think I always manage to skip out when you-know-who shows up?"

"You're always aware of him... because you originated from him. I take it the same can't be said for him?" I stopped at a stop sign, waiting for the vehicle on the right street to go ahead before continuing my way to the house.

"Yep. I know where he was, but he didn't know that I was just right behind 'em. Now, you don't fall into that category, because you didn't come from the ink. But because of bein' thrown into the machine with me, we're almost one and the same, Kate." I nodded slowly, letting the words sink in. _So, we were...?_

"Does that mean we're almost like siblings now?" The house was just ahead, white paint and trimmed hedges and all, and I began to slowly decrease my speed. Allison, Tom, and Bendy were now all looking out the window at the small building, a sharp contrast to the decaying structure they all lived in for the past several decades.

"Um, well... I really don't know," he shrugged, just as I put the vehicle into park. "I'd have to think more 'bout it." Allison tapped my shoulder, drawing my attention to her.

"Should we all go in at once?" _Should we?_ I rolled over the question in my head, and nodded.

"We should. I-I'll go in first, and try to explain things." My left hand, which was still on the steering wheel, gripped it tighter. "I can... I can do this." I was directing my words to myself, wanting to reassure myself that everything would be fine. I-it would be fine. _We'll... be fine._ "Let's go in, everyone."

I undid the belt, and the others followed suit. Stepping out of my car, I began to slowly trek up the brick walkway to the door. Allison and Tom were right behind me, with Bendy in between them a few steps back. My hand in a fist was raised to rap on the entrance, before pausing. _I... guess it wouldn't make much sense, knocking on my own hous_ _e._ Instead, I went to take the doorknob, and quietly twisted it open.

The same light wooden floors, the same dark brown couch and matching recliner. The TV was set up across from it, right by the steps leading upstairs with the wooden railing that let me look into the room from high above. The kitchen was in the background, an open entryway with a different coat of paint and black and white tiled flooring. "... homey." I giggled a little at Allison's observation, smiling and looking around. It wasn't anything special, but it was home. _Home. I'm finally home._

A voice came from within the other room, and we could hear footsteps getting closer. _Here it comes, Kate._ "Honey, I'll be back in an hour. I'm going out looking for her again..." a man stood in the kitchen door, mouth slowly dropping open as he stared at us. A tan button-up shirt with the collar folded down and the top button undone, a mess of black hair branching off in small clumps at the top. A pair of black pants-dress ones, not like the ink-covered jeans I wore-and brown fuzzy slippers. The small strips of grey along the sides of his hair, and the darkened circles showing a lack of proper sleep. "... Kate?"

"... hi, dad." No one moved, not even when another voice called from within the kitchen.

"Henry, dear? Is something wrong?" A woman appeared right behind him, and her hands went over her mouth in silent shock.

"Hi, mom. I'm... I'm back." The spell, at those words, was broken. Dad rushed forward, and pulled me into a hug, my face being pressed into the crook of his neck. I couldn't see anything, but I could feel his body shake. "Dad? Are you okay?" _Of course he's not, idiot! He must've thought you were dead! Or worse!_

"I'm... fine." He let me go, running a hand through his hair. His eyes, brown just like my own, strayed from me to my other companions. Did he see Bendy? He seemed not to be looking down. "What?"

Allison smiled softly, at seeing how much he was grateful for my return. Yet... there was something else, in that smile. There was the faintest trace of nostalgia in it, and with it, made her words come out partially hesitant. "It is nice to... meet you again, Henry."

"Alice?" She shook her head, same as Tom. "This is..." I could see the gears working in his eyes, looking over the angel and wolf as his face morphed into one of horror and sadness. A terrible combination, which I knew exactly what it meant. "He didn't..."

"He did, dad. He used the ink machine. O-on everyone. He-Joey... he lied to every person in there, all for his..." I threw a tired smile at my two taller friends, choosing not to dive any further into the horrors of what I had learned. For my sanity, and his. "Allison and Tom helped me escape."

He looked at the two, and I could see it click. "Allison and Thomas Conner?" _They were married? Did that happen sometime after they left the studio, before being called back?_

The two said toons glanced at each other, and Tom's blackened cheeks seemed to darken, rubbing the back of his head as Allison gave him a shy smile. _Aw, cute!_ Were there feelings between them now? Hard to say, really, but they were pretty close when I found them. The two being married in their past lives didn't shock me as much as it could've, and it explained a lot of why Tom was so protective of Allison. "How long had I been gone?" With the memory of my broken phone floating in the back of my mind, I had lost any way of trying to communicate with the outside world, and how to keep track of time.

"Ten days," dad quickly replied, the number fresh in his mind. "Kate, what happened to...?" His eyes finally trailed up to the top of my head, and I noticed that mom had slowly begun to edge out of the kitchen and over towards us.

"Kate, what did you do?" I fully turned from the small group to face her, and I saw my parents taking in my changed state. Black cartoon arms, sharpened claws, and the horns poking through my own black hair. I, in turn, took in my mom's appearance. Unlike dad, she didn't have the sleepless look on her face. Her bushy light brown hair brushed at her shoulders, covered in a simple pale blue shirt with sleeves that ended at her elbows. Her dark brown pants brushed at the floor, masking the black slippers covering her feet.

 _What did I do?_ "I... I freed my friends, mom. I saved them, b-but..." her hands wrapped around my own, and pulled me into a hug. A hand was smoothing down my mess of a braid, and I leaned into the warmth. I could tell she was trying not to cry, because even though I didn't say it, she knew what I was trying not to say. No normal person didn't just gain demon horns, even though Bendy was by any means a demon. After all of it, after everything I had been through... I was hurt, and I had every right to break down in that moment. "I am so, so sorry, mom. I-I didn't mean to shove you aside over the years, I-I-!"

"Shh... shh... it's okay, Katherine. I'm just glad to have you home." I c-couldn't believe it. After how much our relationship had strained over the years, she still c-cared. _After all of the fights, and tears, sh-she still cares._ Mom eventually let go, our faces matching with tear-stains. She tilted her head to the side with a hum of confusion, reached up, and brushed against my cheek before pulling her hand away. "What is...?"

Ink. There was ink on her fingertips. I was crying ink.

"I... I have a lot to tell you. But, um, I-I have someone that you should meet first, dad." I moved away from mom, and back over to the toons and dad. "Stop hiding behind Tom. I already told you he's going to love you." Slowly, Bendy moved out from behind the wolf. Dad's face had gone through a ton of emotions in the last few minutes, but the stunned shock that met the nervous demon almost topped his reaction to seeing me after so long.

Bendy's black shoes squeaked on the floorboards, and he rubbed a hand along the bandage on his arm. "Eh... hiya, Henry."

Dad slowly knelt down in front of him, trying to get a better look as he processed the cartoon-his creation-standing in front of him. _Creation... the tape in the studio said dad created a character people would love. The studio was just starting up. Am I wrong, or... did dad actually create Bendy?_ How far off... was that comment in the car about us being siblings? "Hello, Bendy," he softly greeted, giving an uneasy smile. He held out a hand, and while Bendy flinched, he stood still as the human placed a hand on his head, right beside the patch covering his damaged eye. The touch was soft, gentle; just like a father's. Bendy sniffed, and just like myself, inky tears began to trip down his face. "What's wrong, old friend?"

"I-I..." Bendy was pulled into a hug, and looked absolutely tiny in my father's arms. His black eyes scrunched up, and he buried his face into the shirt. "Y-you could've... you could've c-come back for us...!" Dad brought a hand up to rest against the backside of the demon's head, as the cartoon's entire being shook with each word. "Y-you never came back! I ca-can't-don't act like this means we're all buddy-buddy now! Y-you abandoned us! You abandoned me!"

Each word was a wreck, but nothing compared to Bendy himself. Mom was silent, taken aback by the sudden breakdown. The only noises in the house were the crackling of the television in the background, the hum of the heater, and the sobs of the little demon. _Bendy..._ he never met dad in person, no, but he knew of him. He knew about everything, and with that knowledge... it hurt. _And... and I am there... to pick up the pieces that monster_ _of a man_ _l_ _eft behind._

I moved forward, and got down on my knees and wrapped my arms around the both of them. It took a moment, before a gloved hand grabbed my arm to keep me in place. The scrunched up look softened as he turned just enough for me to see his face, and his pie-cut eyes-while still watery-were relieved. _You're welcome, Bendy._ _And as for the others..._ "dad... mom... I-we... have a lot to talk about."

* * *

 **Well, we only have the epilogue left to go. This has been fun, hasn't it?**

 **It's a short chapter, compared to the last few, but there isn't much more to be said. Bending Reality had chapters that were always going to be short, but they might get larger when I go back to revise the entire story.**

 **Really, if you didn't understand anything about what happened here, and how we got to this part, go back to the last chapter. The weird thing with the story being labelled as updated when a chapter was removed, add in the chapter being posted was pretty confusing.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	33. Roll the End Credits

**Disclaimer: Well, this is it. The last chapter of Bending Reality. This story suffered many a hiatus, but in the end, we did it. However, it's not the end of our cartoon gang in the slightest. I might post a chapter letting people know the edits are done, or just make a small announcement in the summary of the story or on my profile. Either way, keep an eye out for what's going on.**

 **ultima-owner: They are, aren't they?**

 **Curious Kit: You're welcome!**

 **Mokki Takashi: I don't know if they'll use the term siblings, but I am not shipping them. If you enjoyed Kate's adventure, then you'll love it when she returns in a future story of mine.**

 **CureCaligraphy: I take it that first part is in regards to the final line? And what about her parents?**

 **Masked Freak: Sad, and very cruel wreck. Kate's also halfway to being a cartoon. She's not fully there, but she's still part human. That isn't the ending, by the way. This chapter marks the end of Bending Reality.**

 **Calamity Heart and Bill Cipher: Thanks! This was the second largest thing I ever wrote on here, and I'm really proud of it. I can't wait to revise the entire story due to final edits in the game, to prepare it for the next step.**

 **Captain America: Welcome home! You've been away for far too long!**

 **darkdrako12: Thank you!**

 **TazmaniaLizard: Well, keep an eye out on what stories I post, and you'll see.**

 **Jedi Alice: Happy new year!**

"Speaking"

 _Thinking_

* * *

The room was bathed in a monochrome glow as I sat snuggled under a navy blue blanket on my bed. The small and boxy television set on my desk thrummed with the electricity it took to run the old tape I had inserted, and after a few quiet seconds, bells filled the air as the title card played. Cookie Cookin'. Always a classic, no matter what time of the year I played it. Sure, it was by no means anywhere close to Christmas, but it was a cartoon I loved all the same.

"Whatcha watchin' there, kid?" The door creaked open a hair, and the little devil slipped inside. He walked along to the end of the bed, and climbed up alongside me. Gone were the bandages around his arm, as the ink machine had taken care of healing those. However, his eye was still a mess, covered with the fabric he used in the studio itself. Dad had offered to repair it, but the demon stubbornly refused, never giving an actual answer. When I found him, he said it was easy to fix. _Maybe it's a pride thing?_ I'd probably never figure it out, but I chose not to bring it up.

Tom and Allison, while living a more relaxed life now than in the decades past, kept their weapons. In the guest room, of course, that mom let them have. She downright refused to have the wolf carry his trusty ax around all the time. Bendy still had his plunger in his subspace, and as for me and my pipe... yeah, I was going to try and get a new one. The fear, of being ripped apart a-and being constantly watched... I felt better having something to defend myself.

As for my own appearance... it wasn't that much different than before I was dumped into the ink machine. My arms and legs were black, and I had the h... horns on my my head, with my braid running down my head right in the middle. There were two other things I was unable to note when I had awaken. My lips were black, just like Susie's and Allison's were. My... eyes though...

They were black. All white had turned to an inky blackness, and what was once brown had altered to the same orange glow of the lost souls of the studio. No pupil to be found. It was just a ball of light in a sea of darkness. When I had gone to the washroom to tidy up, and saw my reflection... it was one I was familiar with, and at the same time... it was a complete stranger.

"One of your old cartoons. Want to join me?" I opened up my blanket cocoon, and Bendy joined me inside. His bobbing head rested against my arm, and we began to watch himself stir the batter in a bowl merrily. He poured it out onto a baking sheet, tossing the bowl aside. With a loud bang, and chuckles from the two of us, Bendy slammed his face down on the ball of dough, flattening it out so that it filled all of the sheet. "That was my favorite part of this tape."

Bendy didn't respond, but I saw his eyes flicker from me to his animated self. He peeled away the excess dough around the gingerbread man, letting it hop to its feet and wave with a big smile. Why was it smiling, anyway? It didn't even have eyes and a mouth to begin with. _Kate, you're overthinking it again._ The cookie laid down, and Bendy began to put the tray into the oven. After a few seconds, a ding was heard, mixed in with the jolly music in the background. A puff of white smoke came from the machine as he took the tray out. Much to his confusion, the cookie was gone, as if it were never even there to begin with.

Bendy kicked the lid upwards, and finally took notice of Boris leaning against the counter. The wolf was happily eating away at the cookie, not seeing Bendy right beside him. The demon looked from him to the tray, baffled at how he had gotten his holiday treat without him noticing. The camera zoomed in his disappointed face, before the ending card played, marking the end of the cartoon. The tape came to a halt in a small bang, and I turned off the TV with the remote resting on my legs. _He's still silent._ "Bendy? Is something bothering you?"

"... you're just... handlin' this so much better than I thought you'd be." Well, that wasn't what I was expecting to hear. "I want ya to be honest with me, okay?" I nodded slowly, and Bendy's head drooped. "What do you plan to do next? You're outta the studio, but... what happens for ya now? You can't go out and get the life you wanted; a job, a family. You're as stuck as the rest of us." I wrapped my arm around him, hugging him but refusing to meet his face. My initial fear was still there at the surface, but I was trying to smother it. Contain it, for my sake and the sake of everyone else around me. _How am I supposed to react, exactly? This, this isn't normal._

"I... you knew that this would happen, when you put me into the machine. You knew that doing so would destroy my future. Bendy, I... I'll figure it out. Me, my dad, my mom... a-all of us will figure it out." I sank further into the pillow wall I had built behind me, and Bendy followed suit. "But for now... it's time for be-"

"Kate! Pick up the phone!" We sat upright, hearing my mom's voice from down the hall, no doubt in hers and dad's bedroom. I leaned off the bed to the bedside table, sitting down the remote and picking up the landline.

"I got it!" Clearing my throat, I brought the speaker up to my head. I had been missing for ten days. I had not received a straight answer as to if or how the police were involved, so if anyone was calling for me despite the news I had gone missing... who did my mom think was worth taking this risk? On if I had returned at all, and in my current condition? "This is Kate Bowens speaking. Who is it?"

"Katie? Oh, thank goodness. I've been trying for the past three days to get hold of you, but Uncle Henry kept saying you weren't here."

Uncle... Henry? Katie? N _-no way. No way. It-it's not... why are they calling? Now, of all times?_ "Hey, Kate? What's with the look? You got sorta pale there." I didn't acknowledge his concern, focusing every part of me on the voice on the other side of the line.

"Y-yeah, well... a lot happened recently. Wh-what are you calling me for? I thought you-?" The caller cut me off, nerves evident in their words.

"Look," they started firmly. "I know that the two of us hadn't spoken properly in the past couple of years, but I need someone I can trust. Katie, you're the only person I can turn too-guys, leave my bookcase alone, now-and I'm at my wits end over here!"

The sudden change in their annoyance confused me, and I unconsciously leaned into the receiver. "O-okay. I-I'll be right over in the morning. Cole, you swear you'll be fine until I get there?"

"I should be fine. I-!" A loud bang made me flinch away from the phone, and a curse followed immediately on the other end. "I got to go. See you then." A click, and the dead tone of the conversation coming to an end. With my head still facing forwards, I slowly reached over and put the phone down. The plastic thumped nosily as it missed thrice, but it came to rest in its holder the fourth time.

"Uh, Kate? You mind fillin' me in on what just happened there?" I felt him poke me, and sharply inhaled through my teeth. "Katherine?"

"Bendy... apparently, that thing about doing anything for family... is broader than I thought it'd be." _Ah, great._ "Get your plunger on standby in the morning. Things are... about to get interesting."

* * *

 **Thank you everyone who's been following along with this story. Through the hiatuses, and the constant updates to keep things current with the game-except for the last name. I'm keeping it as Bowens instead of Stein-this turned out quite nicely, and I'm glad you enjoyed reading it.**

 **Remember, not only will this be updated, but keep an eye out for my Cuphead sequel. When that comes out, we'll be getting a look at how Kate's been handling things more than what is shown here in the epilogue.**

 **Happy holidays, thank you for reading Bending Reality, and have a happy new year!**

 **Angel**


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